It Must Run in the Family
by Doc95
Summary: Sequel to No One Said It Would Be Easy. Being a teenager is hard, especially when you have Rebels for parents. As if having raging hormones and school to deal with isn't enough the new government is being severely threatened. An assassination attempt fails and lands Katniss and Peeta incapacitated, Ivy and the rest of the kids must take over the next Rebellion. Will they succeed?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, Everyone! Are you ready for this? I hope you are and I hope you love it as much as I do! Ivy, Phoenix, and Alex are 18 (or turning 18) and are going into their senior year of High school. Lilac, Finn, Ash, and Liam are all turning 16 soon and are going into their sophomore year of high school. First few chapters aren't too exciting but I hope you enjoy them. Read on! Disclaimer for the entire existence of this story: The Hunger Games Trilogy belongs to Suzanne Collins and only Suzanne Collins. I am just playing around with her characters. All the characters I created belong to me.  
**

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Chapter One

Ivy Mellark's POV

I breathe a sigh of relief when I finally manage to pull myself into my bedroom. No one ever said sneaking back into your second story bedroom via your window was so hard. Oh, but it was definitely worth it to see Blake, my boyfriend. Blake Smith is the smartest, most attractive, most sought after guy in the entire District. He was new to the school last year and he had every girl falling head over heels for him. And then, he chose me of all people to take to prom last year!

I shut and lock my window before turning around to get ready for bed. And _BAM!_ There's my mom, Katniss Mellark – previously Katniss Everdeen – Hunger Games victor and rebel, standing with her hands on her hips and a look no one wants to get.

"Hi," I say, smiling nervously.

"Ivy Sky Mellark," She begins her voice as cold as steel, "what exactly do you think you're doing?" I know better than to answer that question. I'm not stupid.

"You are very lucky that I caught you and not your father," She says and I know how right she is. If dad had caught me I'd be grounded until I was fifty and Blake, well, I don't really want to think about what dad would do to him.

"I would ground you but that would require me telling your father about this. I'm giving you a warning. If I ever catch you sneaking into this house after curfew again, you will be grounded for a very long time." Mom tells me sternly and I nod. Mom leaves my room and fall backwards onto my bed. Oh, thank God I'm not grounded! Being grounded for your eighteenth birthday party would really suck.

I hear a soft _tap _against my window and I look up to see Alexander Abernathy, my long time childhood friend and practically family, waving and pointing to my window. I give him a confused look but cross the room and open the window. Sitting on the window sill is a perfect paper airplane. Alex always did have a knack for building things. In the paper airplane there is another slip of paper. It reads: _I saw you get busted. She ground you?_

I quickly scribble my response of "No. Thank God." Before nestling the slip of paper carefully back into the paper airplane and sending it back to Alex.

Alex and I have known each other for fourteen years, after my Grandpa Haymitch and Grandma Effie adopted him. I watch as he easily catches the airplane in mid-air and then mindlessly runs his fingers through his tight, reddish-brown curls. He writes something and then sends the airplane back to me.

His message reads: _Good. It'd be hard for you to sneak out to your own party_. I chuckle. It would really have sucked to miss my own party tomorrow. "That would have really sucked. I'm going to bed. See you tomorrow." I scribble back and then toss him the plane back. He reads it and then mouths "Good night". I nod and smile before shutting my window and flipping off my light. Tomorrow is going to be great!

Phoenix Mellark's POV

I wake up to the barks of River, our Chesapeake Bay retriever. It's probably my brother Finn taking him for his morning run. I yawn before sitting up and running my hand through my ear length brown hair. I get out of bed and pull on a white shirt before heading downstairs.

In the kitchen, mom is sitting at the kitchen table, reading the newspaper and drinking her morning coffee.

"Morning," I say as I open the refrigerator in search of some orange juice.

"Good morning, birthday boy," Mom tells me, getting up from the table to hug me very tightly. "Happy birthday,"

"Thanks, mom," I tell her as she breaks the hug.

"I can't believe my oldest son is eighteen today," Mom says. "It feels like it was just yesterday when I was changing your diaper for the first time." I just roll my eyes as I sip at my orange juice.

"Are you excited for the party tonight?" Mom asks and I nod.

"I'm gonna go get dressed and then take a hike in the woods." I tell mom as I put my cup in the sink and exit the kitchen.

I loved going to the woods just to think and maybe draw or paint something. It was just always so peaceful and quiet there. It was a place to get away from life when it got too hectic.

Finnick Mellark's POV

I lean against a tree as I catch my breath. I've just reached my one mile mark, which is where I turn around to head home. River drinks from a quiet stream near my resting spot, his gold-brown fur shining in the sunlight.

The sun is shining brightly through the think canopy of forest trees. My siblings think I'm crazy but running these trails is always the most relaxing part of my day. River and I run this trail twice a day, at sunrise and sunset.

My twin, Lilac, and I are complete opposites in matters like these. I go to bed early and wake up early to go for my runs and do my daily workouts. Lilac stays up until midnight, or later, every night and then clings to her bed until noon every day she can. Lilac also hates running and weight lifting. She would rather dance around as a way to get her exercise. She's such a girly girl.

"C'mon boy, let's head back." I say to River as I grab his leash and we start our run back home.

Lilac Mellark's POV

"C'mon, Lilac, you need you need to get up. It's almost noon." I hear mom tell me as she shakes me lightly. I groan an unintelligible response as I snuggle deeper into my very warm, wonderful bed.

"Lilac, now," I hear mom say sternly. I sigh in defeat. I do _not _want to anger mom. I pull myself to a sitting position and rub my eyes. Once I am half awake, I get up and turn on my radio. Music is my life source. Without it, I'm sure I would die a very slow and painful death.

I dance around my room as I get ready for the day. It is a warm, August day so I decide to wear a yellow, flowery sundress with a pair of silver sandals. I curl my blonde hair and apply my lip gloss and mascara. I take one more look at myself in the mirror before heading downstairs.

In the kitchen, mom, dad, and Ivy are all sitting at the table. Ivy is reading one of those nerdy science magazines that she gets in the mail. Mom and dad have split up the newspaper. Dad is reading the comics, while mom is reading the current events sections.

I sip at my cup of orange juice and watch as I see my younger brother Finn and our neighbors, Liam Hawthorne and Ash Hemlock, shooting hoops in the driveway. Both Liam and Ash have had crushes on me for years and they both have their positives and negatives.

Liam has dark black hair and icy blue eyes, which is a very attractive combination. His muscles aren't too bad either. And he's a very handy mechanic and hunter, which is pretty hot. Ash has blonde hair and very soulful green eyes. He's not as muscular as Liam is but he's not a toothpick either. Plus, he's practically a musical genius. He plays the guitar, the bass, the drums, and the piano. And he writes and plays/sings his own songs.

Neither of them knows that I know they have crushes on me. And, this year, I plan on making them tell me. This year is going to be so much fun!

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**I hope you enjoyed this. More will be coming very soon! I'm so excited for this story and I hope you are too! Like Lilac said, it's going to be a lot of fun! Please review and thanks for reading!  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey****, Everyone! Here's the next chapter! I hope you all enjoyed the last one and will enjoy this one! Read on! **

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Chapter Two

Alexander Abernathy's POV

"You look beautiful," I tell Ivy as she hugs me. Her and Phoenix's eighteenth birthday party is just starting. She is wearing a navy blue dress that comes to her knees and her hair is in a French braid. She really does look gorgeous.

"You don't look so bad yourself," She tells me as our hug ends.

"So how does it feel to be eighteen?" I ask her. She had asked me the same thing two months ago at my eighteenth birthday party.

"Pretty great," She tells me with a smile that makes her grey eyes sparkle.

I watch as Blake Smith, Ivy's boyfriend of four months, comes up to Ivy and wrap his arms around her shoulders.

"Hey, nerd," He greets me with the oh-so-clever nickname he gave me last year in English class. I give him the "sup" nod in return.

"You look gorgeous, gorgeous." He tells Ivy, kissing her cheek.

"Thank you," She replies, a blush spreading across her cheeks.

"Dance with me?" He asks her.

"Um . . . are you okay with that?" Ivy asks me.

"Oh, yeah," I tell her. "Go ahead and have fun. It's your birthday." She smiles and gives me another quick hug before going out onto the dance floor with Blake.

I feel the familiar but not-at-all comforting ache in my chest and lack of oxygen in my lungs that I get every time I watch Ivy with Blake, or any of her other boyfriends. It had taken me a while to figure out what this feeling meant. It was actually my dad, Haymitch Abernathy, who explained to me what this feeling meant. I, Alexander Cole Abernathy, was completely head over heels in love with the one, the only Ivy Sky Mellark.

"Oh, you have so got it bad." I hear my dad say from behind me.

"What else is new?" I joke.

"You know, after this year, you two might be going off in different directions. You should tell her how you feel." He urges me. I just shake my head. Why would a girl as incredible as Ivy go for a guy as simple as me?

Ivy Mellark's POV

I can't help but squeal inwardly as Blake twirls me around on the makeshift dance floor that my Grandma Effie put together for tonight in the backyard. Effie really did out do herself with decorating this party. Over the dance floor there are a thousand twinkling lights that look just like stars.

Blake smiles at me as he wraps his arms around my waist. His jet black hair is soft to the touch and his emerald green eyes always shine with mischief. I still can't believe that the hottest guy in school chose me. It's totally mind blowing.

"I can't believe we're gonna be seniors this year!" I exclaim as Blake and I take a seat at a picnic table.

"I totally can't wait to get out of here." Blake says.

"Why?" I ask him. I love living in District 12.

"There's not enough excitement in this District. Not like in the Capitol." He tells me. Blake is originally from the Capitol. I still have no idea why he moved to District 12.

"Well, after graduation, you and I can go to the Capitol together. I really want to get into Panem University." I tell him. Panem University is the most prestigious college in all of Panem. It has the most amazing science programs! Plus it has a planetarium and the best research labs in the entire country.

"You and me against the world, babe," Blake says, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. The flutter in my heart tells me that this might be the real thing.

Lilac Mellark's POV

"Hey, Lilac, you wanna dance?" Liam asks me. I accept his offer and he leads me out onto the dance floor. I have to admit, he looks very nice in his black, button down shirt and dark wash jeans.

"You look hot tonight," He tells me as we move together with the music. He's a pretty good dancer and he looks good while he does it.

"Are you excited for our sophomore year?" He asks me as we move off of the dance floor.

"Not really," I tell him with a chuckle. "I do not want to get up at six every morning. That is just way too early."

"You wouldn't have to get up so early if it didn't take you two hours to get ready," He teases.

"I can't just roll out of bed and look this good. It takes time to make me look this beautiful." I inform him.

"I'm sure you look just as beautiful without all the hassle." Liam tells me and I can feel the heat of a blush move across my face.

"Time for cake," I hear my dad yell and everyone circles around one of the picnic tables. I watch as my older brother and sister blush as everyone sings "Happy Birthday" to them.

Phoenix Mellark's POV

I laugh at the joke my younger brother, Finn, just told. All the teenagers are sitting at one picnic table eating our chocolate cake that dad baked for the party. I tried to get him to let me help him but he was having none of it. He said that the birthday boy shouldn't be baking his own cake.

Blake kisses my sister for the hundredth time tonight. They've been dating for a few months now and I still haven't got used to the idea of them dating. I know my dad doesn't like him either and neither does Grandpa Haymitch. There was just something about him . . .

I didn't really like that Ivy had started talking about going to college in the Capitol with him. She shouldn't be picking a college based on where her boyfriend is going. Ivy is the smartest person in District 12. Well, maybe with the exception of Alex.

That's another thing. It sucks that Ivy's so into this Blake guy and can't even tell that Alex is completely head over heels for her. Blake is always making fun of Alex because he's at the top of the class and Ivy never does anything to stop him. I just don't want my sister to lose who she is over this guy.

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**Uh oh! Sounds like this Blake character is gonna twist things around in this story! Especially if you name is Alexander Abernathy . . . I guess we'll all have to wait and see what happens! Please review and thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey, Everyone! Thank you so much for such a positive response to this story! It means the world to me! Now, since I'm sure you're all excited to see what happens, Read on! **

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Chapter Three

Alexander Abernathy's POV

_*One Week Later*_

"Wake up!" I hear my mom, Effie Abernathy – previously, Effie Trinket -, chirp happily. "Today is a big, big day!" I groan when she opens up my curtains and a flood of sunlight hits my eyes.

"I made your favorite breakfast, so get dressed and come downstairs." My mom tells me before leaving my room. I pull myself out of bed and walk over to my closet.

Today is the first day of my senior year at East District 12 high school. I put on a red white plaid, button-front shirt and pull on a pair of dark wash blue jeans. I go into my bathroom to wash up and fix my hair; and to put in my contacts.

I got contacts a few years ago after I went through a lot of teasing for being a "four eyes". Mom didn't want me to get them but dad insisted since he didn't want me to get beat up, even though I could have taken any of the kids that tried to mess with me. My father was Haymitch Abernathy after all.

I take one last look at myself in the bathroom mirror. I'm pretty tall, six foot even. I'm in great shape thanks to playing soccer and dad's fight training. My red-brown hair is doing its usual curly thing. I think it's really annoying but everyone else finds it cute. Satisfied with my appearance, I head downstairs.

Downstairs, mom is just plating the chocolate chip pancakes and dad is sitting at the kitchen table, reading some car magazine.

"Oh, I can't believe that today is my baby boy's last first day of high school!" Mom cries as she pulls me in for a very tight hug.

"Don't squish the boy, Ef." Dad says as he puts down his magazine. Mom shuffles me over to the table and places a plate of pancakes in front of me. Most people would probably call me spoiled since I have two of the richest people in District 12 as parents and I'm an only child.

"Are you taking the bike to school?" Dad asks me, referring to the 2011 Ducati Monster 796 that we spent most of the summer fixing up.

"Hell yeah," I tell him with a grin. Mom chastises me for swearing and, when she's not looking, dad high fives me. I finish my breakfast, put my dishes in the sink, and give my mom a kiss on the cheek before grabbing my backpack and heading out to my first day as a senior.

Ivy Mellark's POV

_*Meanwhile at the Mellark house*_

"Ivy, I'm sure you look great. Now get out of the bathroom!" My younger brother, Finn, shouts at me from the other side of the bathroom door. I sigh in frustration before putting away all my bathroom stuff and yanking the door open.

"It's all yours, Phelps." I tell him, using the nickname we all gave him a few years ago after we read about an Olympic swimmer from a really, really long time ago.

Since I am already ready, I make my way downstairs. As I walk towards the stairs, I cross in front of Lilac's room. Mom is trying to pry, literally pry, Lilac out of bed. She's never been a morning person. Downstairs, dad is in the kitchen finishing up breakfast.

"Morning, kiddo," He says. "Are you ready for this year?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," I tell him with a smile. He looks back at me with the face that just projects how proud of me he is. My dad has never been one to hide his emotions.

"I can't believe my little girl is all grown up," He tells me, his eyes getting misty.

"I'm not all that grown up. You still do my laundry," I tell him and he chuckles.

We sit in silence for a few minutes before everyone else comes flooding into the kitchen. Phoenix and Finn start devouring their food like true teenage boys, though Phoenix is slightly more mannered than Finn. Ten minutes later, we are graced with a very tired Lilac's presence.

"Are you riding with us or are you gonna go with Alex on the bike?" Phoenix asks me as we are getting our bags together to leave. Alex offered to let me ride on the back of his motorcycle today so we could "arrive in style", as his mother would put it.

"I'm gonna ride with Alex," I tell him just as I see Alex pull up to the house on his bike. Honestly, he definitely has the coolest ride in the District. I yell a goodbye to mom and dad and then head out to Alex. I pull on my leather jacket that he bought me just for riding on his bike and wave to him.

"You ready for this, Treetop?" He asks me, holding out a helmet. I roll my eyes at the stupid nickname he gave me after I climbed up a rather tall tree when I was about eight and then I was too afraid to climb back down.

"Hell yeah," I tell him as I clip the helmet on my head and hop onto the motorcycle with him. Let me say this, riding on a motorcycle is the most exhilarating feeling I have ever felt! I couldn't exactly feel the wind in my hair but it was still a great ride. The ride to school is short but it was the best ride to school I've ever been on.

Alex turns off the motorcycle and I get off. I take the helmet off and then spot Blake standing by his silver 2012 Audi A7. I must say that he looks very, very handsome in his dark jeans and black shirt.

"I'll see you in class," I tell Alex before heading over to Blake.

"Hey, handsome," I greet him.

"Hey," He replies, his eyes trained on something behind me.

"What are you looking at?" I ask him, turning my head to follow his gaze. He is looking at Alex, who is just pulling of his helmet. "What's wrong?" I ask him, slightly confused.

"I could've given you a ride," He tells me, turning to go into the school.

"I know. Alex just offered to drive me on his motorcycle and I thought it would be fun so I accepted." I tell him as we walk into the school.

"Next time, I'll pick you up." Blake tells me, wrapping his arm around my shoulder as we walk. I am slightly peeved that he is bossing me around but I drop it, not really in the mood for an argument on the first day of the biggest year of my life.

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**Dun dun dun! Sounds like things are gonna start getting . . . well, I don't really know the right adjective to describe it. Review to let me know what you think and thanks for reading! More chapters will be up soon!  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey, Everyone! Thank you to all of you for reading and reviewing! I love you all for it! So far, you guys aren't too keen on Blake . . . Hmmm I wonder why that could be? Without further ado, Read on!  
**

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Chapter Four

Ivy Mellark's POV

AP World History with Mr. Keps is, by far, the most boring class I have ever been to. It was really a bad idea for Mr. Keps to teach history since the subject is already boring enough without the dullest person in all of Panem teaching it. The only good thing about Mr. Keps is that he lets you pick your seat.

I am seated between Blake and Alex, two very important men in my life. Alex has been my best friend since we were four years old. My grandparents, the Abernathys, adopted him after his parents were killed in a mine explosion. We've been practically inseparable for all these years. It helps that we're both complete science nerds. We're at the top of our class; he's number one and I'm number two.

But, lately, we haven't been as inseparable as we used to be. Blake doesn't really like Alex so Alex never hangs out with us. And, since he's my boyfriend, Blake and I spend a lot of time together, mainly in the town square.

Blake's a really good guy. He's smart and funny and he's always telling me how beautiful I am. He takes me on a lot of great dates, too. For one date, we drove to District 11 and went apple picking in the orchards. It was so much fun. Blake is such a good guy but all the men in my family really don't like him. It took mom a week to talk dad into letting me go to prom with him last year. Grandpa Haymitch, dad, and Uncle Gale are always muttering about how I'm too young to date, blah, blah, blah.

Blake and I take our seats in AP English. Sadly, we only have two classes together this year. It kind of sucks that I'll barely get to see him during the day, especially since we both have sports practices after school. Blake is the varsity quarterback for the East High Eagles, which just makes him that much better.

Blake and I part with a kiss after AP English. Blake heads to Calculus and I head to AP Psychology, which I have with Alex. Alex and I usually have a lot of classes together because we're both on the science major's path. We're hoping we get to study science together at Panem University. We have the right classes and the perfect ACT scores and we're just waiting for our acceptance letters.

"Hey," Alex says as I slip into the seat next to him.

"Hey," I reply.

"How was English?" He asks.

"Boring," I reply with a chuckle. "How was culinary science?"

"Also boring," He tells me. It's the first day of school, it's usually pretty boring. Alex is pretty excited for culinary arts. He's always been a pretty good cook. His mom taught him everything she knows and Effie is almost as good of a cook as my dad is.

To follow today's boring theme, AP Psychology is boring, too. The bell rings and, after a quick locker stop, Alex and I head to calculus. Calculus is the class I've been dreading all summer. I've never been super good at math like Alex is. I can just barely scrape by with an A-, and that's with some serious help from my own personal boy genius, Alex Abernathy. Honestly, he really should get paid for all the kids he helps tutor.

After Calculus, we have lunch. Since East is a pretty small school, everyone has lunch together in the cafeteria, which we call the Commons. Blake, Alex, and I take a seat at the table we've been sitting at since freshman year. Phoenix and our other friends, Daniel, Alyssa, and Harper, are already seated.

We chat aimlessly as we eat our lunch. I notice the looks that Alyssa gives Alex and can't help but think that they would make a very cute couple. Harper is making a lot of eye contact and conversation with Phoenix. Neither Phoenix nor Alex has dated much and I really hope that they have some fun this year. It is our senior year after all.

Lilac Mellark's POV

This morning was beyond ridiculously boring. I swear I could have fallen asleep. The only good things about this morning were French and Theater Performance class. I am so hyped that I get to take these two amazing classes, which is taught by some of the best teachers ever!

Ash and Liam sit on either side of me. They're both vying for my attention. This whole having two guys that like you thing is kinda fun after all. Honestly, I'm leaning more towards going to homecoming with Liam, if he would ever ask me. He seems like he would be more likely to ask me since Ash is pretty shy.

Ash is a great guy and a phenomenal musician. The only reason he's never played at the school's talent show is because he's so freaked out by public performance that he throws up. I've tried to help him with that but I haven't quite fixed it yet. I just know that if he could get over his stage fright, he would blow the entire District away! He's probably the best musician I've ever heard!

Liam is more of the daring, outgoing type of guy. He's a really great hunter. He and his dad go out on a hunting trip every year and they always come back with some amazing game. He's also great with cars. There have been countless days when I've found him in the Abernathy's garage with Grandpa Haymitch and Alex fixing up some really old car. He looks really hot when he's fixing a car engine.

The bell rings, signifying that lunch is over. There is a collective groan that flows through our table. Unlike my older siblings, I do not enjoy school that much. I just can't get over the fact that it starts so early in the morning. I need my beauty sleep!

My next class is geometry, which I have with Liam. We walk together and I can't help but notice his displeasure in going to this class. He really does not like math, at all, even though he's pretty decent at it. We sit in our desks and listen to the teacher, Mr. Walsh, go on and on about how geometry is important for life and how it can be so much fun, blah, blah, blah.

Once the torture is finally over, I go to Sophomore English, which I have with Finn. As soon as we enter the classroom, I can already see the girls starting to swoon. My brother is definitely the heart throb of the sophomore class. Apparently, he's hot. I don't see it but, then again, he is my brother. He's a swimmer, a football player, and a basketball player. Honestly, I'd rather date a musician or an actor but whatever.

Alexander Abernathy's POV

I finish changing and slam my gym locker closed. It is eighth period and I have gym. This year they stuck me in Competitive Games, an all-boys class. We play things like flag football, volleyball, soccer, basketball, ultimate Frisbee, etc. etc. And, to top it off, Blake is in my class. This is one class I will be dreading for the rest of the year.

"Alright, ladies, before we start, I want you to give me five laps around the soccer field." Coach Baxter, also known as "Back Breaking Baxter, tells us. He blows his whistle and we all start to run.

"Hey, nerd," Blake says to me as he jogs up to me. I don't respond. Instead, I push myself to run faster, trying to get away from the jerk.

"You can't get rid of me that easily," He says, catching up to me. I remain silent. Blake, either too stupid to get the message or too big of a jerk to care, keeps talking to me.

"Just so you know Ivy is never riding on your motorcycle again." He tells me. I can feel my blood boil but I don't say anything. Ivy wouldn't let him boss her around like that; she could total kick his ass.

All the guys finish their laps in a big group. We all catch our breath while Coach Baxter tells us the rules of flag football, as if we've never played it before. He divides us into teams and we take to the field. Jack, one of the guys in my English class, passes me the ball. I am just about to catch it when I get shoved to the ground. I look up to see Blake passing the ball in the other direction.

"Sorry, I didn't see ya there, nerd." Blake says with an evil smirk before he takes starts running to the other end of the field. This is going to be such a great year.

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**Okay, so maybe I hate Blake too . . . oh well . . . 1) I need you guys to tell me some songs you think they should play at the Homecoming dance that is coming up in a couple chapters. Leave your suggestions in your review! 2) Who do you guys think Lilac should end up with? I want to see your opinions (because they might sway me to which one I choose) so tell me in your review! Thank you so much for reading! More chapters coming soon because I love writing this story so much!  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey, Everyone! Here's another chapter! I really must be on a roll or something tonight! And its barely 9 o'clock at night! You guys are very lucky readers today! I wish I could write like this everyday! I just love this story so much! And I am so glad you all like it just as much! Without further ado, Read on!  
**

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Chapter Five

Peeta's POV

_*One Week Later*_

I am just folding some laundry when I happen across a very sexy thong. A smile spreads across my face as I think of my very sexy wife.

"Hey, babe, how come I've never seen you wearing this?" I ask her as I walk into the living room holding up the thong. Katniss looks up for a second and answers me.

"Because it's your daughter's," She tells me. What?

"What?" I ask, my mind reeling.

"That thong belongs to your daughter." She repeats.

"Wh-which one?" I ask.

"Ivy," She replies simply, as if our daughter wearing a thong isn't completely terrifying.

"You know she's been wearing this?" I ask my wife.

"Yes," She tells me.

"Why is she wearing a thong?" I ask.

"Because she wants to," Katniss tells me. Now she's starting to make me angry.

"You're telling me you aren't angry at her for wearing a thong?" I ask.

"No, I'm not angry. She's technically an adult, Peeta." Katniss tells me.

"She wasn't wearing these before she met that . . . that Blake." I say, anger bubbling up inside me. That boy is changing my sweet, little girl into something . . . something not so sweet.

"Peeta, don't use this as another reason to hate him. He's a good boy who treats our daughter right," Katniss says.

"She's wearing a thong!" I shout. How can Katniss not see how big a deal this is?

"You don't seem to make such a big deal about it when I wear thongs." She tells me. Damn it.

"You're an adult! And we're married!" I defend.

"Ivy is an adult, too, Peeta." She repeats.

"Well, she still has to abide by our rules! And, she's not going to the homecoming dance!" I decide.

"Peeta, don't be ridiculous." Katniss tells me.

"I'm serious," I say. My heart is pounding harder than I've ever felt it pound in my life. When did I start getting old?

"Peeta, be rational about this. Ivy is a smart girl. Just because she's wearing a thong, doesn't mean she's going to start acting stupidly." Katniss says. She is kind of right . . .

"I just . . . when did she grow up?" I ask her as I sit next to her on the couch.

"It's been eighteen years," She tells me.

"It feels like just yesterday when I held her for the first time." I reminisce. "She was so small."

"I know how you feel," Katniss says, her hand resting on my cheek before it runs through my hair.

"She's all grown up," I say, a touch of sadness reaching my voice.

Phoenix's POV

"You ready?" I ask Alex as we do our stretches. Today is our first soccer game of the season and the stands are full. Soccer is a big deal since our team is so good. Alex just nods silently as he stretches his hamstrings.

The referee blows the whistle and we take our positions on the field. Alex and I are both pretty killer offense players. I glance over to the stands and see our entire family; from the Abernathy's to the Hawthornes and everyone in between. The referee blows the whistle again and the game begins.

Before the other offense knows what's happening, Alex and I are on the move. Our kicks are perfect. The defense is no problem for our skill and we get an easy goal in less than five minutes. I go in for a high five but Alex doesn't seem to be in the mood. He's got a brooding look on his face. It probably has something to do with my sister.

The game goes on and, of course, the East Eagles win with a final score of 6-2. The family comes over to congratulate us and hugs and high fives are exchanged. Alex is still in his bad mood. We all take the take the walk back home. I manage to catch the look Alex has on his face while he watches Blake and Ivy exchange several kisses. His face looks angry but his eyes seem sad.

Alexander Abernathy's POV

At home, I shower before eating dinner with my parents. My mom made spaghetti and meatballs which, as usual, is delicious. I love my mother's cooking.

"Alex, are you doing okay?" Mom asks me as I hand her some of the dirty plates off the table.

"I'm fine," I tell her. "Why do you ask?"

"You just seem . . . sad." Mom says, reaching out and pinching my cheek.

"I'm fine, mom." I tell her as I finish clearing off the table and head up to my room.

In my room, I take out my Calculus homework. Mr. Walsh really likes to lay on the homework. Every night I spend at least half an hour on Calculus alone. Tonight, it takes me forty-five minutes.

I put away my Calculus book and move onto AP biology. It's only been a week and I already absolutely love AP biology. Everything in the realm of science is just my thing. I took AP chemistry and AP physics the same year and got A's in both. Ivy gets mad at me when it only takes me half the testing time to finish one of the tests. I finish my AP biology packet and then take out my AP English.

I pull up my paper for my English class. Everyone had groaned when Mrs. Fern had assigned a paper the first week of school. Honestly, it was a pretty easy paper. We just had to pick a member of our family to write a paper on. I, naturally, chose my father. If there is anyone who's led a very adventurous life, it's Haymitch Abernathy.

"Hey, buddy," _Speak of the devil_, I think to myself as I gesture for my dad to enter my room.

"What's up?" I ask him as I put my homework away. Finally done for the night!

"Your mother sent me up here to talk to you," He tells me with a smirk. Great

"Talk about what?" I ask him.

"I think you know," He replies. I remain silent. "Son, I think you should tell Ivy how you feel." He tells me.

"No," I respond automatically.

"Son, I can tell it's killing you to watch her and Blake together." He says.

"I'll get over it," I tell him. _Eventually, _I think to myself.

"You might not." He tells me. "If this is the real thing, you might end up spending the rest of your life beating yourself up for not telling her how you feel."

"I'm not going to ruin her relationship for my own selfish agenda. She's happy with Blake." I retort.

"I'm not telling you to ruin her relationship. I'm telling you to at least make your feeling known. For all you know, she feels the same way about you." Dad says.

"Trust me, dad, she doesn't feel the same way." I tell him before turning my spinning chair around.

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**I just needed a little Haymitch-Alex interaction. This was pretty dark I guess. Is it weird that the ending made me slightly choked up? I think it's weird but I don't care! I'm a weird person! I hope you all enjoyed it! You'll probably get another chapter tonight! :D I just love this story so much! Have I told you that before? Please review and let me know what you think! Thanks a bunch for reading! **


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey, Everyone! Here's another chapter! I am on such a roll! I'm having way too much fun with this! Read on and Enjoy!**

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Chapter Six

Finn Mellark's POV

Today is the homecoming football game. Probably the biggest game of the season, unless you end up in the championship game. Tonight, the team has the show the entire school just how awesome we are. Every play has to be flawless.

"Finn, sweetheart, hurry up and finish your breakfast. You don't want to be late to class." Mom urges me. I quickly finish my blueberry waffles and rush to brush my teeth. It took me forever to talk mom into letting me paint my face for tonight's game. Finally she gave in and I had dad and my older brother, Phoenix, paint one half of my face white and the other royal blue. I tried talking mom into letting me dye my hair but she wouldn't budge on that one.

The energy the school is just amazing! The second you walk in, it just hits you like a wall; a wall of school spirit. The cheerleaders look super-hot in their uniforms. All the varsity players are wearing their game jerseys around today.

Honestly, I was really surprised when I actually made varsity this year. It was the greatest feeling ever! All my summer workouts really did pay off! I was the backup quarterback for Blake, so I really wasn't going to get a whole lot of playing time. That was okay with me though. I was just happy to be part of the team. I would get my chance to play during the next two years. But if Blake ever got hurt, I was ready. I knew every play backwards and forwards. I had the energy, the stamina, the speed, and the arm. I was so ready.

"Looking good, Finn," A girl says to me as I pass her in the hallway. I just smile my flawless smile at her. All the girls wanted a piece of Finn Mellark.

During geometry, I find it hard to pay attention. Who cares about math anyway? I wasn't going to be an architect. I was going to be an athlete. The only class I needed to pay attention in was gym. And as long as my grades were good enough to ensure I could still play on the teams, I was golden.

As the day goes on and on, I get even more anxious and excited for tonight. I know I probably won't even play but I'm just so hyped up on everyone else's excitement. Everyone is feeding off of each other's energy. It's like some sort of cosmic energy thing . . . Yeah; I'm not a science nerd like my sister.

At lunch, I scarf down two turkey sandwiches that mom made for me this morning. I need to keep my protein levels high enough, just in case I do play tonight. Always be prepared, always.

Once the school day is finally over, all the players meet out on the field. The coach gives us a pep talk and we go over our plays a few times. Then, he dismisses us. We all head to the diner in town. Jackson, the owner, is a huge East Eagles' fan and he loves it when we eat at his restaurant before a game. Apparently it's really good publicity.

We push a few tables together and then order our food. Most of the guys have brought their girlfriends so, naturally, Ivy is here, too. We eat and make noise and get even more pumped of the game. We were going to bury the North Wolves into the ground!

Fifteen minutes until game time and we're all in the locker room. The coach is giving us another, bigger pep talk. We just finished going over our plays. We're all riled up! Go East Eagles!

Before I know it, it's time to get out onto the field. Our entrance is the classic running through banner held up by the pretty cheerleaders technique. It's a great feeling running through that banner; even if you aren't the one to rip through the banner. That privilege goes to the head quarterback.

The join is flipped and the Eagles are on offense right off the bat. The game starts and I take my seat on the bench, near the Gatorade cooler. Fifteen minutes later and we have our first touchdown. The crowd goes absolutely crazy! The crowd is just huge. Everyone in this part of District 12 has got to be here! There are banners flying and cheers being yelled and everyone is just completely pumped!

The first half goes pretty well. We're ahead of the other team by two touchdowns! It's amazing! Blake is doing a pretty decent job tonight, despite being the usual cocky jerk he always is. The third quarter doesn't go as well as the first two. By the end, we are tied with the Wolves. We're still tied halfway through the fourth, each team having scored another touchdown. And then, the worst happens, Blake Smith hurts his arm in a tackle. He can't play. My heart is pounding. That means . . .

"Hey, Mellark, get your butt on the field." Coach yells to me. I get up from the bench, strap on my helmet, and run out onto the field.

Ivy's POV

"Guys, Finn's going in!" I exclaim as my brother takes the field. I'm sad that Blake got hurt but I'm so happy that my brother gets to play in the homecoming game! Now, if we can just win!

It's the end of the last quarter. The teams line up. The Eagles are on offense. Finn calls out the play. They pass him the ball. The other team runs at him and . . . he's tackled. Everyone in the crowd cringes a little. That was a hard tackle.

Ever the trooper, Finn gets up and just brushes himself off as if nothing ever happened. Time is ticking. We're down to last two minutes of the game. The teams line up again. Finn calls a play. I think it's a different one but I can't be sure.

He's passed the ball. He passes the ball. But wait, he didn't actually pass the ball! He faked it. The other players haven't figured it out yet. They still think that Jack, the wide receiver, has the ball. Finn runs. I swear he's running faster than he ever has before. A player on the Wolves notices this and runs for Finn. Finn runs faster, if that's even possible. It's a close call but Finn still manages to cross into the end zone before the opponent can even get a hand on him. Just as Finn makes the touchdown, the buzzer goes off. The game is over. Eagles win!

The crowd erupts! The cheerleaders are all freaking out. The other players on our team are freaking out. My family is freaking out. The other players hoist Finn up onto their shoulders, cheering. One of the cheerleaders kisses his cheek, which causes him to blush. Tonight was a definite win!

I am waiting outside the locker room when I notice Alex talking to Alyssa Weston, one of the girls we eat lunch with. They are smiling and laughing. Alyssa looks rather nervous. They hug before parting. I gesture for Alex to come over to me.

"What was all that about?" I ask him with a smile.

"Ah . . . Alyssa just asked me to the dance." He says, a smile playing at the corners of his lips.

"Oh, that's so great! I'm so happy for you! Are you guys gonna go in our group?" I ask him, referring to the group Phoenix, his date, Blake, and I formed.

"Sure," Alex accepts.

"That's great. Well, you know where I live so . . ." I trail off. "We're taking pictures in the meadow, by all the rocks." I tell him.

"We'll be there." He tells me.

"Are you gonna talk your dad into letting you use the Mustang?" I ask him, referring to the very hot, red Ford Mustang that Haymitch restored a few years back. The only time he ever takes it out is to take Effie out on a date night.

"Hell yeah," Alex tells me and we both chuckle.

"Hey, babe," Blake says as he puts his arm around my shoulder.

"Hey," I say to him. We both lean into each other and our lips brush together. My stomach erupts into a fit of butterflies. Oh, I loved kissing this boy so much!

"I'm gonna get going," Alex says, backing away.

"No! Stay! The team is going to the diner to celebrate. Come with us." I urge him.

"Nah, I got some homework to do." He says. He works too hard sometimes.

"Okay, well, I'll see you tomorrow. Pictures are at five." I tell him. He nods before turning around and heading home. I wish he would have stayed.

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**Oh . . . I wonder what that last bit meant . . . Hmmm . . . Well, I have no idea. I guess we'll find out, huh? I have a feeling I am going to enjoy writing the next chapter way too much! Please review! Thanks for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

**H****ey, Everyone! It's time for the homecoming dance! AHHH! I won't bore you with my author's note. Read on!**

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Chapter Seven

Ivy Mellark's POV

Mom has just finished up Lilac's hair and is starting on mine. I want to keep it simple so she's just curling it for me. My dress is mint green and flows down to mid-thigh, but is up to my knees in the front. It is strapless and it has a desire with rhinestones on the front that resembles some sort of a star. Mom says it goes great with my hair color. Mom finishes my hair and Effie does my simple make up. She insisted on doing our makeup since she couldn't do it for Alex.

Lilac is wearing a strapless, purple, knee length dress. It has leopard print underneath the transparent purple skirt of the dress. It's a dress that screams Lilac's name and she looks perfect in it. Especially with her leopard print heels. I have no idea how she walks in two inch heels. I would kill myself.

Lilac is going to homecoming with Liam. He asked her late last week in geometry. She came home freaking out about it and held me hostage in her room while she told me all the details. That's my sister for you, ever the diva.

I find that I am nervous for tonight. Blake and I have gone to dance together but I just feel like tonight is a big night. I think this might be the real deal with Blake. He's so good to me and I just feel so in love with him. Now, we've never said I love you to each other but I feel like it might be coming soon. I just can't wait!

Lilac and I are ready with fifteen minutes to spare. Phoenix and Finn are just fixing their ties. I must say that my brothers do look good in formal attire. Phoenix is going to the dance with Harper Jackson, the other girl that sits at our lunch table. She's a sweet girl and she's really into art, just like Phoenix. He had actually asked her while they were in sculpture class. Finn was going stag. He said he wanted to make sure he can give all the ladies a piece of the Finn-ster. My brother was a total dufus.

Blake picks me up in his Audi. Phoenix goes to pick up his date and Lilac and Finn wait for Ash, who is driving them and Liam. Blake looks very nice in his suit and tie. His tie matches my dress. His jet black hair is style with gel and it falls into the perfect mess. His green eyes are so passionate and deep that I can't help but get lost in them.

We pull up to the meadow and I find that we are the last to arrive. Phoenix and Harper are here. Harper is wearing a knee length, light blue dress with rhinestones around her waist. She really does look beautiful. Lilac is standing with Liam, Finn, and Ash. All the guys look very handsome. Ash and Finn are horsing around since they don't have dates to be all proper around.

Alex is standing with Alyssa. Alyssa looks very beautiful in her orange dress. It isn't just orange though. In the skirt of her dress there are tinges of pink. It is a very pretty combination, especially with her dark brown hair.

Alex looks . . . very handsome in his suit and tie. Even with Effie fussing over his hair. He's got a smile on his face and his arm wrapped around Alyssa's waist. Effie is buzzing around with the camera while Haymitch just laughs as his only son is enduring a very torturous moment.

We all subject ourselves to torture as the parents take pictures. What is it with parents and making sure every moment of our lives is visually documented? Oh well, at least we all got a good laugh out of it.

Once all the pictures have been taken, we all get into our cars and head for the restaurant Lilac and I chose. It's a little Italian place in town called "Antonio's". It really is a nice, quaint little place. We all eat and laugh.

Alex and Alyssa seem to really be enjoying themselves. I'm glad Alex is finally taking a girl to a dance. He works too hard and it's his senior year. He needs to have some fun.

Blake can't seem to keep his hands off of me tonight. He's either holding my hand or he's got his hand on my waist or my thigh. Maybe tonight he'll tell me he loves me. Oh, I hope he does! We leave the restaurant at seven, wanting to be fashionably late for the dance.

When we arrive, the dance is in full swing. There's no way you could tell that we were in a school gym. The decorating committee really out did themselves this year. There was a huge balloon archway at the entrance and the ceiling of the gymnasium was covered in a canopy of balloons, all of them either blue or shimmering silver. It truly was beautiful!

"It's beautiful," I breathe.

"Not as beautiful as you are," Blake tells me. I blush and he kisses my cheek. Then, he leads me out onto the dance floor. There is a slow song playing. I think it's called "A Thousand Years" but I'm not sure about the artist. Blake twirls me around and I just feel like a princess. From the dress to the dancing to the handsome prince I am dancing with, it all makes me feel like a princess.

Lilac Mellark's POV

Liam twirls me around and then pulls me back into his arms. I am having a great time with him tonight. I am so happy he asked me. He looks so much more handsome when he's all cleaned up. His piercing blue eyes pop against his black suit and hair. I can't seem to keep my fingers from running through his hair.

"I'm glad you said yes," He tells me, his blue eyes peering into my soul.

"I'm glad you asked," I tell him with a smile.

"Lilac, I've been waiting so long for this." He tells me. I am just about to ask him what he means when he leans down and his lips touch mine. My heart rate spikes and I have to remind myself to breath. He's kissing me. He is kissing me! He deepens the kiss a little and I kiss him back. The most amazing feeling is shooting through my body and I am sad when he pulls away.

"That was . . ." I trail off.

"Amazing," Liam finishes, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

"Amazing," I agree, biting my lower lip. Best night ever!

Alexander Abernathy's POV

"I'm glad you asked me to the dance," I tell Alyssa as we sit outside on one the benches. The air is a little cold so I give her my jacket.

"I'm glad, too." She says with a smile. "I was really afraid that you were going to say no."

"Why?" I inquire.

"Honestly, I thought you were totally in love with Ivy." She tells me.

"Oh," Is my only response.

"You aren't still . . . are you?" She asks me.

"Oh, no, not at all," I tell her, really hoping she believes me.

"That makes me really happy." She says. "I've had this crush on you since freshman year. We had physical science class together and you were just so smart. And you were athletic and you were just a good guy. Those are really hard to find. Oh, and you're really cute."

"You're pretty," I tell her. Her cheeks turn a deep red in her blush. I swallow hard before leaning closer to her. She leans up to me and our lips brush one another's.

"Wow," She says as we pull apart. Now it is my turn to blush. We talk for a bit longer. We both decide that we don't really want to go back into the gym. It's much nicer out here, just the two of us. We talk until midnight, which is when the dance ends. Students pour out of the gym, most of them probably going to after parties. I drive Alyssa home. She steals a kiss before we part.

Just as I am pulling out of Alyssa's driveway, I see Blake and Ivy walking towards one of the houses that is hosting the biggest after party in town. His arm is tight around her waist and he is kissing her neck. I have a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. I know I shouldn't but I make the decision to follow them.

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**This'll end well *rolls eyes sarcastically*. Any ideas on what's gonna happen? Please review and thanks for reading!  
**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey, Everyone! I'm not even going to make you read an author's note. Read on!**

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Chapter Eight

Ivy Mellark's POV

Blake and I enter the after party. The smell of alcohol is rather prevalent. I wrinkle my nose as Blake takes a cup of beer from an offer's hand. He takes a long gulp and then another. He offers me a sip but I decline. My parents would kill me so bad . . .

Blake and I dance a little bit. He finishes his cup of beer and grabs another one. I really wish he was drinking. It's not good for you. That's why Grandpa Haymitch always tells us to never drink alcohol. It can destroy you easily. Mom and dad told me everything that happened with Grandpa Haymitch. Even the story of when he decided to get sober. Haymitch Abernathy is one of the strongest and bravest men I know. He is married to Effie Trinket after all.

Blake backs me up against a wall and we kiss. Our tongues probe each other's mouths. His hands go to my hair, tangling in it. I run my hands along his chest, feeling his finely tuned muscles. There is no better man a woman could ever ask for than Blake Smith. He is smart, funny, athletic, caring, compassionate, and just everything a girl could ever ask for.

Blake and I take a seat on a couch that is the corner of the room. His arm is around my shoulder and he is kissing my neck. It feels so amazing.

"Ivy, I love you." He murmurs against my skin. My heart skips a beat. He loves me! Oh my gosh, he loves me.

"I love you, too." I tell him, my hands playing with his black hair.

"You are the most incredible woman I have ever met," He tells me, his lips still against my skin. "You're smart and sexy and funny. You're the whole package."

"You're not so bad yourself." I joke. He continues kissing me. His hands roam over my body. My hands are still playing with his hair. His hands move from my waist, down to my thighs, and back up again.

My heart is pounding so hard in my chest. I feel like it's going to burst out of my ribcage. My palms are sweaty. My breathing is ragged. He loves me! I still can't get over the fact that he said that to me. He loves me! We're in love! Everything I wanted to happen tonight has happened! We're in love!

"What are you thinking about, babe?" He asks me. He has stopped kissing me for a second and his beautiful, deep green eyes are looking at me intently.

"Just how great it is that we're in love," I tell him, my fingers trailing down his muscular arms.

"It is pretty great," He tells me as he leans in for another kiss. Our lips meet and I feel fireworks. The feeling of his lips against mine is the best feeling I have ever felt in my entire life. Better than winning first place in the District 12 science fair; so much better, so, so, so much better.

His kisses move back to my neck and I relish in the feeling. There is no one on earth that could make me feel the way Blake does. This is it. This is my true love. I'll never be able to love someone as much as I love Blake. It just isn't possible.

Alexander Abernathy's POV

I walk into the house and am instantly hit with the scent of alcohol, and a lot of it. The music in the house is way too loud. These people are suppressing their ear drums to some serious torture right now.

It takes me a few minutes but I eventually find Ivy. She is on a couch with Blake. His hands are all over her and he can't keep his lips off of her. He is trying to sleep with her. That's all her wants. It's pretty damn obvious! The way he's touching her! They've only been dating for four months! What the hell is wrong with this guy? If he really loved her, he would wait. What happened to true love waits?

And why is she letting him touch her like that? The Ivy Mellark I know would never let anyone do that to her. She would have thoroughly kicked his ass so bad by now. She doesn't deserve to be treated like that! She's a woman, a beautiful, wonderful woman who only deserves the upmost respect and manners! Something boils deep inside me. It is big. It is powerful. It is hot. It is pure rage.

I storm over to them and grab Blake by the collar of his shirt. I throw him against the wall and hold him up by his neck. There is surprise in his eyes. I have caught him way off guard.

Unfortunately, it doesn't take him long to recover. I feel a pain shoot up my leg as he kicks me in the knee. I am forced by the pain to release his neck and lean against the wall. That's when I feel his fist connect with the side of my face, right in the jaw. I taste blood in my mouth. But I don't care. I thrust my knee repeatedly into his stomach. I hope I jar something vital loose.

I plow Blake into the wall opposite the one I threw him against. I have him trapped with my arm against his neck. He squirms under my arm. Our eyes lock. He is angry. Not as angry as I am, but angry. I push my arm harder into his neck, trying to cut of his air supply. I have no problem with killing this . . . this . . .

He uses all his weight as a weapon and shoves me to the ground. My head bangs against the hardwood floors. I feel no pain. My rage is simply overtaking my body. He might be bigger than me but I, even in a blind rage, am much, much smarter than he is.

He goes to drive his elbow into my gut but I roll away at the last second. Blake grunts in pain as his elbow joint hits the floor with a lot of force. He reaches out with his other arm and pulls me the ground by my shirt.

We wrestle for a while on the floor. I can feel everyone's eyes on us. I can only imagine what Ivy is thinking right now. She's probably embarrassed and angry and confused. I just hope that she understands why I am doing this. It's all for her.

He punches me repeatedly with his good arm (I hear a few cracks and can only conclude that a few of my ribs have just been broken) before I grab his arm and twist it around. I stand us both up and push him into the wall again. I am about to hit him again when Ivy suddenly appears in between us. I am confused but I still lower my arm.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" She shouts at me. Even though I know it is a rhetorical question, I answer her.

"I was protecting you," I tell her, my chest heaving from my rage. Does she not understand what he was trying to do to her?

"Protecting me, from what, my loving boyfriend?" She asks. Her eyes are angry, very angry. She is seething at me. Trust me when I say that there is nothing scarier than a pissed of Mellark woman.

"He had his hands all over you," I say. That . . . prick . . . was going to try and . . . and . . . I don't even want to think about it.

"She was enjoying it," Blake spits at me, wiping blood from his mouth. His lips are set in a cocky smile. He knows I've just messed up big time. He knows Ivy will be on his side. I lunge at him but Ivy puts her hands firmly on his chest. She is surprisingly strong.

"You don't understand . . ." I start.

"I understand perfectly, Alex. You went after him." She declares. I have no argument. She is right. I started this.

"Ivy, I'm-" She cuts me off before I can apologize.

"No. I don't want to hear it, Alex. Just butt out, okay? Just butt out of my life." She tells me, grabbing Blake's hand and leaving. I've hurt her. I never wanted to hurt her. The reason I've never told her how I felt is because I don't want her to be hurt if we couldn't make our relationship work. Tonight, I've hurt her. I've hurt her so bad that she doesn't want me in her life anymore. If that's what I have to do to make sure she's happy, I can obliged. I've only ever wanted her to be happy.

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**Uh oh . . . Looks like someone is in trouuuble . . . I would appreciate it if none of you came and killed me in my sleep . . . There's a reason I haven't told you guys where I live . . . I'm not that stupid. Feel free to leave how much you hate me in reviews. At least I get reviews to read out of it! See, its a win win. You let out your anger and I get some entertainment. Now, I hate to do this, but its almost one A.M. and I'm officially tired, so this is it for tonight. Sorry! Please review and thanks so much for readng!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey, Everyone! I was happy when I woke up alive this morning. Thanks for not killing me in my sleep! Now, I know how anxious you all are to read this so, here it is! Read on!**

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Chapter Nine

Ivy Mellark's POV

After the fight, I really didn't feel like going back to the activities Blake and I were doing previously. He drives me home, despite the injury to his elbow. The car ride is silent, awkwardly silent. Blake and I don't even kiss goodbye.

I enter the house through the backdoor. Lilac, Finn, and Phoenix are all sitting at the kitchen table, eating sandwiches. They all look at me when I slam the door shut behind me.

"What's wrong with you?" Finn asks. Gah, I hate men so much right now!

"I'm fine," I tell him.

"That means everything in girl talk," Finn 'informs' my other siblings. I roll my eyes before storming up the stairs. Once I am in my room, I flop onto my bed, not caring that I am still in my dress and makeup.

"Honey, do you want to talk?" Mom asks as she knocks on my door. I don't answer her. After a few seconds, she goes in and shuts the door behind her.

"Ivy, what happened tonight?" She asks me, sitting down next to me on the bed.

"It doesn't matter," I tell her, fighting back tears. _Everything just fell apart, that's all. _

"Sweetheart, I don't believe that." Mom says.

"Blake and I went to a party after the dance. We were making out on a couch when Alex just runs over and starts beating him up. They got into this huge fight." I tell her.

"And what happened after the fight?" Mom asks.

"I yelled at Alex," I reply, a few tears slipping from my eyes. I felt so bad but he deserved it! "I told him to butt out of my life." More tears fall from my eyes.

"Oh, sweetie, everything is going to be fine." She tells me, rubbing my back soothingly.

"I just lost my best friend and probably my boyfriend! How is everything going to be fine?" I exclaim.

"These things have ways of working themselves out." Mom says.

"I just can't believe Alex did that," I say with a shake of my head.

"Ivy, you need to look at this from his perspective," Mom tells me.

"What perspective?" I ask her. What the hell is she talking about?

"Sweetie, I think it's pretty obvious that Alex has feelings for you." Mom tells me. Wait, what?

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"Ivy, that boy is hopelessly, head over heels in love with you." She tells me. Alexander Cole Abernathy, boy genius, is in love with _me_?

"That's not possible," I say.

"I think it is," Mom replies. "I remember when you used to go around telling everyone that you and Alex were going to get married."

"I was a stupid kid," I defend. "I also wanted to be a flying astrophysicist." Mom chuckles at me.

"Believe what you want but, deep down, you know I'm right." Mom says before she leaves my bedroom. How could Alex be in love with me? Surely, he would have told me by now. Alex has never been one to keep secrets, especially from me. No. It's not possible. There is no way that Alexander Abernathy is in love with me.

Alexander Abernathy's POV

I storm into the house, sufficiently freaking out my parents. We make eye contact for a brief moment before I storm up to my room. I am really not in the mood to talk right now. Five minutes later, there is a knock at my door. I sigh in exasperation and yank the door open.

"What?" I ask, coming face to face with my father. Honestly, I guess I didn't have to be so harsh. My dad isn't the reason the girl I'm in love with hates me.

"What's wrong with you?" He asks me, moving into my room.

"I don't want to talk about it," I tell him as I yank the orange tie I am wearing away from my neck. Gah, I hate this freaking monkey suit! Why the hell did I even go to this stupid dance? What the hell is wrong with me?

"Too bad because we're going to talk about it." He tells me. I do not respond. "Would you mind telling me why you suit is all ripped up and why it looks like you've repeatedly punched in the face tonight?"

"I got into a fight," I grumble. I know I'm going to have to pay for the suit since it was a rental for tonight. And my face is already starting to hurt. Tomorrow morning is really going to suck.

"You got in a fight with . . .?" Dad asks.

"Blake," I answer. The look on my dad's face changes into one of both shock and pride.

"Did you kick his ass?" He asks me.

"I'm pretty sure his right elbow is broken." I reply, a smile tugging at my lips. Dad just chuckles.

"So what caused your little fight?" He asks.

"He was making out with Ivy and his hands were just . . . all over her." I tell him.

"And it pissed you off?" He asks. I nod in response.

"I really screwed up," I tell him, sitting down on my bed.

"It can't be that bad," Dad says as he sits down next to me.

"Yes it can," I tell him.

"What happened?" He asks.

"Ivy yelled at me. She wants me to butt out of her life." I say, swallowing hard.

"She'll come around, bud." Dad encourages.

"I don't think so," I tell him.

"Just give her some time. She's just angry about the fight. Once she calms down, she'll come to her senses. Girls don't always think rationally when they're angry." Dad tells me.

"She was really, really pissed off." I say, my mind replaying how she yelled at me.

"Everything is gonna work out, bud; just give it some time." Dad tells me and I nod. He squeezes my shoulder supportively before leaving my room.

I shut the lights off in my room; I lie down onto my bed and stare up at my ceiling. Above my bed, the glow in-the-dark stars are shining a dull green color. Ivy and I used to sit here when we had sleep overs and just stare at the stars. We said we were going to be astronauts and would travel farther than any Space explores ever have before.

We made so many plans together. We were going to be at the top of class in high school (check) and then we would go to Panem University in the Capitol together. Then we would get degrees in every science specialty that we could. We were going to be best friends forever. So much for that.

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**So, what'd you think? Do you think these two will solve their problems or is this the end for two of our favorite characters? Only time will tell. Please review and thanks so much for reading! **


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey, Everyone! Some of you requested a little more Finn and I was happy to obliged. I hope you enjoy. Read on! **

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Chapter Ten

Finn Mellark's POV

_*Three Weeks Later*_

I am officially sixteen today! Woo! Lilac and I are standing at the DMV waiting to take our road tests to get our licenses. I cannot wait until I can drive! It really sucks relying on an older sibling or a parent to drive you around.

These last few weeks have been kinda strange. Lilac is _always _with Liam. If they aren't at home making out, they're in town out on a date. Phoenix and Harper, who are now in a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship, spend a lot of time drawing just about anything and everything.

Ivy has been really weird since homecoming. Alex hasn't been over our house since her and Phoenix's birthday party. She and Blake never hang out at the house anymore, either. It's super weird. Whatever happened at the after party really screwed things up.

Blake broke his right elbow so he's out of the rest of the season. That means that I get to play as the head quarterback. It's the best thing ever. I hate to say this but I'm glad he broke his elbow. It's the best thing that could have happened to me.

The DMV instructor calls me name and I go for my driving test. Most people are super nervous when they take their road test. Ash was a complete wreck when he took his test last month. But, he did pass. Me? I'm as cool as a cucumber. I know how to drive and I am a much better driver than my sister. She almost killed us all when we went out driving one time.

As usual, my driving is perfect. Fifteen minutes later, I pull back up to the DMV, a smile of victory on my face. The instructor passes me, obviously, and I go wait in line for my picture. Once my picture is taken, I take the vision test. Ten minutes later, I am holding my probationary license in my hands. This is amazing!

Lilac returns to the DMV after her driving test with a look of displeasure on her face. I can tell she failed. I know better than to say anything. Mellark women are not friendly when they are angry.

Back at home, mom and Effie are decorating for our party tonight. I was so excited for the party. We had invited the entire sophomore class from East. Our party was definitely going to be the party of the year.

I head into the house and find Ivy and Blake sitting on the couch, his right arm in a sling. Their hushed conversation suddenly ends when I plop down into one of the chairs in the living room.

"What do you want?" Ivy asks me. She looks annoyed for some reason.

"Nothing," I reply. "Just sittin'," Ivy rolls her eyes at me. What the heck is wrong with her lately? She's being all . . . witchy. After a few minutes of awkward silence, I leave the living room, rolling my own eyes.

I head outside, planning on going for a run with River, when I see Alex in his driveway shooting hoops. I jog over to him and jump up to dunk a ball that wasn't going to quite make it in to the hoop.

"Hey," I say, passing him the ball.

"Hey," He replies dryly, shooting a free throw.

"You know, you should be on the basketball team." I tell him. He is a pretty decent ball player and he could totally make varsity.

"Nah," He says, passing me the ball.

"What's up with you and my sister?" I ask him, shooting a hook shot.

"Nothing," He tells me.

"Oh, c'mon, there is totally something going on. You guys haven't spoken in weeks." I persist.

"We had a fight," He says.

"What'd you fight about?" I ask him.

"Well, after I beat up her boyfriend, she got kinda pissed off." Alex says.

"Wait, you're the reason Blake has a broken elbow?" I ask him and he nods.

"Man, I gotta thank you for that one! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be the head quarterback." I tell him as I give him a guy hug.

"Glad I could help," He replies dryly.

"Dude, you need to chill out." I tell him, shooting a three pointer. "Seriously, stress is so not good for you. You and Ivy will make up soon and then you can go back to being nerds together." Alex doesn't respond.

"You know, when I was younger, I was convinced you two were going to be that one couple that dates all through high school and college and then gets married." I say, glancing at Alex. He is now leaning against his garage, lost in thought.

"Dude, are you alright?" I ask him.

"Just go home, Finn." He tells me. I'm confused but go home anyway, something telling me I don't want to anger him.

Three hours later, the party is in full swing. The music is pumped up so loud you can feel the ground beneath your feet vibrate. Everyone we invited is here and having a total blast. Best turn out ever!

All the ladies want a piece of the Finn-ster and I find myself continually dancing with girls. I thought the attention was bad before. It's even worse now that I'm head quarterback. That's okay though. I love the attention.

Lilac would usually be dancing with a bunch of guys but tonight? Tonight she's dancing with Liam. They have been ridiculously inseparable since homecoming. I guess it's kind of cute, if you're into that sort of thing.

I head over to the massive punch bowl to ladle myself a cup. Standing there with a few other girls is Sydney Harris. She has beach blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes. Her still tanned from her time in the sun. She's a swimmer, like me. She catches me staring and blushes a little. She really is beautiful.

Now, I'm not a shy guy but, every time I try to talk to her, well, I chicken out. Just the thought of going up and talking to her makes my heart skip a beat. She's just so beautiful and confident. She leaves me breathless.

Around six at night, the massive amount of pizzas that my dad and Phoenix worked on all day arrives. If you can think of a topping to put on pizza, we've got it. Not to mention the dessert pizzas they made.

Lilac and I are pretty healthy eaters but, if there's anything that can make us throw away all our health-crazed thoughts, it is dessert pizza. Sometimes I really wish my dad wasn't a baker. Then I wouldn't have to work out so much to stay in shape.

I can't help but look around the crowd. It's an amazing crowd to have just for your birthday party. My eye catches Alex talking to Alyssa, the girl he took to homecoming. Their body language suggests that their conversation isn't a happy one. It almost looks like Alex is breaking up with her. Why he's doing that, I have no idea. Alyssa is a really pretty girl. And she's a total nerd, just like Alex! I mean, if there's a girl he should date, it's Alyssa.

I glance over to the karaoke stage that mom and Effie thought would be a good idea for tonight. So far, no one has used it. I have no idea why they thought it was a good idea. Who wants to get up in front of a hundred people and sing karaoke? That's just a bad idea.

But that's when I see him. Ash is nervously standing on the left of the stage, his guitar in his hands. He can't possibly be doing what it looks like he's going to do. Then, he proves me wrong. He walks onto the stage.

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**What on earth could Ash be doing? I wonder how this is going to turn out . . . Could things end up getting rocky between Liam and Ash? Will Lilac rethink her decision? I guess we have to wait and find out! Please review and thank so much for reading! **


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey, Everyone! I'm not going to bore you with my ramblings. There's too much drama in this to put it off any longer. Read on!**

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Chapter Eleven

Lilac Mellark's POV

"What is he doing?" I whisper to myself.

"What are talking about?" Liam asks me, following my gaze to where Ash is sitting in a chair on the stage with his guitar. "I thought he had super stage fright."

"He does," I say. All my thoughts are cut off when he starts singing.

"He can't see the way your eyes light up when you smile. He'll never notice how you stop and stare whenever he walks by and you can't see me wantin' you the way you want him. But you are everything to me." His voice makes everything else in the yard disappear.

"I just wanna show you he don't even know you. He's never gonna love you like I want to. And you just see right through me. If you only knew me, we could be a beautiful miracle, unbelievable, instead of just invisible." I know this song is for me. I shouldn't give in but I let myself get pulled in by his words.

"There's a fire inside of you that can't help but shine through. He's never gonna see the light no matter what you do. And all I think about is how to make you think of me and everything that we could be." My heart is pounding wildly in my chest. I feel Liam's hand on my arm. My mind is reeling.

"I just wanna show you he don't even know you. He's never gonna love you like I want to. And you just see right through me. If you only knew me, we could be a beautiful miracle, unbelievable, instead of just invisible." He's looking directly at me. I mean a steady, direct gaze. Does that mean . . .

"Like shadows in a faded light .Oh, we're invisible. I just wanna open your eyes and make you realize . . . I just wanna show you he don't even know you. Baby, let me love you. Let me want you. You just see right through me but if you only knew me. We could be a beautiful miracle, unbelievable, Instead of just invisible. He can't see the way your eyes light up when you smile." Everyone in the yard is cheering. Ash has never, ever sung in front of anyone but me. His parents haven't ever heard him sing. They just know he's a great musician. No one knows he can sing like that. Well, now they all know.

"Wow, I didn't know he could sing like that." Liam says, clapping along with the rest of the guests. My head is still reeling. Was this performance meant for me? Is this the admission of his feelings for me?

"Are you okay?" He asks me, his hand on my shoulder. Am I okay?

"I'm fine," I lie. Honestly, I am so far from fine. I can't believe what just happened! I can't believe what this might mean! The whole thing is completely unbelievable!

Ash Hemlock's POV

My heart literally feels like it is going to explode. I lean against a tree that is a few feet off the stage and try to catch my breath. Why did I just do that? What was I thinking?

Then I look over at her, Lilac Violet Mellark, and remember exactly why I did this. I did this for her, to show her how much she means to me. Her eyes meet mine for a minute. Her grey eyes are beautiful, breathtakingly beautiful. Her blonde hair, currently straightened, falls to her just below her shoulders. She is absolutely beautiful.

"Dude, what was that?" Finn asks me as he comes over to me. I just smile nervously in response.

"That was seriously amazing," Finn says.

"Thanks," I reply. My heart is still beating incredibly fast but I've managed to slow down my breathing. Just in time, too, since Lilac and Liam are making their way over here.

"Dude, nice job," Liam compliments as he gives me a high five. I thank him awkwardly. I guess he totally just missed the fact that I'm trying to steal his girl. No one ever said he was the brightest bulb on the tree that's for sure.

Lilac doesn't say anything. She just stands there silently, her fingers intertwined with Liam's. Maybe she didn't get my message either. But the way she's looking at me. Her gaze is so intense and unwavering. It's like she's studying me. I glance up, daring to catch her gaze. The second our eyes meet, she turns her gaze to the ground below us. Maybe she reciprocates my feelings. Maybe she doesn't.

"Ash, why didn't you tell us you could sing like that?" My mom, Johanna Hemlock – previously Johanna Mason – asks me. I just shrug. I never really wanted everyone to know I could sing. I was okay with just Lilac knowing.

We used to go into the woods together and just sing. I would play the guitar and harmonize. We even wrote a few of our own songs. It was just so easy for me to let my musical side show around her.

To everyone else, I'm nothing special. I do well enough in school. I participate in sports. I'm just a regular guy. But when I'm with Lilac and we're making music together, I'm something special. I'm above average. She makes me feel extraordinary.

Everyone at the party, at some point during the night, comes to me and tells me how great of a singer I am. I don't particularly like the attention from everyone. I'm more of a behind the scenes guy.

I manage to escape for a few minutes, feigning a need to use the restroom. I go into the Mellarks' downstairs bathroom and lock the door behind me. I can finally let out a sigh of relief. I didn't mess up. My performance went just the way I was hoping it would.

I look at myself in the mirror. My blonde hair is a complete mess. That's great. There is a thin layer of sweat on my body. Whether it's from the heat or my nerves, I couldn't tell you. I study myself, my green eyes staring back at me.

A knock on the bathroom door makes me jump. Startled, I unlock the door and crack it open. I look down and see Lilac. My heart skips a beat.

"Can we talk?" She asks me. I nod before fully opening the bathroom door and exiting the bathroom.

"What's up?" I ask her, trying to act casually.

"What was that?" She asks me, gesturing out to the karaoke stage.

"Oh, just my first live performance," I tell her, attempting a fake smile.

"Why did you do that?" She asks me, her grey eyes pleading with me for a real answer.

"I think you can figure it out." I tell her, becoming serious.

"Ash, do . . . do . . ." I cut her off by pressing my lips against hers.

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**Am I an evil person for doing this? Oh well, I enjoy it too much! *sigh* I wish I had two guys that were head over heels in love with me . . . Please review and thanks for reading!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey, Everyone! You'll be happy to hear that this cha****pter is not a cliff hanger. I figured you guys could use a little break from the torment. Without further ado, Read on!**

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Chapter Twelve

Lilac Mellark's POV

Whoa . . . what just happened? Did Ash just . . .

"What the hell was that?" Ash and I both look over to the back door. Liam is standing there, a mixture of anger and hurt on his face.

"Liam-"

"No." He tells me. "I don't want to talk to you."

"Liam, don't be angry at Lilac. I kissed her." Ash says, successfully throwing himself under the train.

"Why the hell would you do that? I thought we were best friends!" Liam yells before leaving, slamming the door as he goes.

"I'm sorry," Ash says after a few minutes of silence. Honestly, I don't even want to talk to him right now. "I shouldn't have done that."

I have no idea how to respond to that. How can I be angry at him when I wanted him to do that? I've always had some inclination that he like me. I've always known that this might happen someday. I kind of looked forward to it.

But Liam . . . he got caught in the crossfire. I never imagined that Ash would make his feelings known. That's why I accepted Liam's offer to take me to homecoming. He probably hates me now. I would hate me, too.

"Goodnight, Ash," I tell him. I'm still not sure how to go about this situation. So, tonight, I'm just going to let everything sink in. I have some serious thinking to do. Ash nods before leaving the house. I sigh and head upstairs.

About fifteen minutes later, there is a knock at my bedroom door. I tell whoever it is to come in and sit up on my bed. To my surprise, Ivy enters my room. I could have sworn it was mom.

"So tonight was pretty exciting," She says as she sits down on my bed.

"You have no idea," I tell her.

"What are you thinking?" She asks me

"Just how much my boyfriend hates me and how much my best friend loves me," I tell her.

"Liam doesn't hate you," Ivy reassures.

"He should hate me," I reply.

"Maybe he should, maybe he shouldn't." Ivy says.

"I'm so confused." I whine in frustration.

"Join the club," She replies.

"Why are you confused? You're like a genius." I say.

"This whole thing with Alex," She tells me.

"You mean the boy that is totally in love with you," I reply.

"Why does everyone say he's in love with me?" Ivy asks.

"Because he is," I tell her. "It's pretty obvious."

"Then why didn't I see it?"

"Because you're blind,"

"Hey, girls," Mom says, poking her head into my bedroom. "Are you two having a girl chat?" She asks and we nod.

"It looks like you guys are taking after me in the boy department," Mom says. Ivy and I just look at her, confused.

"When I was sixteen, both your dad and Uncle Gale . . . well, they had feelings for me." Mom informs us. Why had we never heard this before?

"Great, you cursed us." I say, shaking my head.

"How did you pick? I mean, I'm glad you picked dad but it must have been hard." I ask.

"I realized that I didn't need fire. I needed a dandelion." Mom says. Ivy and I look at each other, more confused than before. "When you understand, you'll know who to choose." Mom tells us before leaving the room.

"Well, that was confusing as hell." I say and Ivy and I chuckle.

Katniss' POV

"It seems that our daughters are having guy trouble," I tell Peeta as I go into our bedroom. He is lying in bed with a cooking magazine.

"Guy trouble?" He asks me.

"Looks like they're both stuck in love triangles," I tell him.

"What do you mean?" He asks me, a confused expression on his face. I can't help but laugh at how oblivious he is. Then again, knowing Peeta, maybe he's purposely remaining oblivious.

"Well, Ivy is dating Blake but, as it would seem, Alex has feelings for her." I inform my husband.

"Alex has feelings for Ivy?" Peeta asks. Really, where has he been for the last fourteen years?

"Yes." I tell him. "It's pretty obvious he's head over heels for her."

"Is that why he beat up Blake?"

"Bingo!" I reply.

"So what about Lilac's love triangle? What's the deal with that?" Peeta inquires.

"Well, it so happens, that Ash has a thing for Lilac." I tell him.

"But she's dating Liam," Peeta says. I look at him for a minute and then it clicks. "Oh, so they both have feelings for her and she doesn't know which one she has feelings for. I get it now." I have to chuckle at him. Oh, I do love this man so much.

"What about the boys? Are they okay?" Peeta asks me.

"How should I know? They're your responsibility." I tell him. The look on his face makes me chuckle again. "Phoenix and Harper are now boyfriend and girlfriend. And, as far as I know, Finn is still single. But that could change since I saw him eyeing up a girl tonight at the party."

"How do you know all this?" He asks me.

"I'm a mother. It's what we do." I tell him.

"So, what advice did you give the girls?" He asks. He's quite full of questions tonight, isn't he?

"I told them to look for their dandelion in the spring," I tell him. The way he smiles at me tells me he knows what I mean. He was my dandelion in the spring. He was the hope I needed after a long period of pain. He helped me through a time I thought I would never get through.

"I love you," He tells me, brushing his lips against mine.

"I love you, too." I reply, rubbing my palm over his cheek. We settle down into bed and I can't help but reminisce on how much Peeta means to me. Everything, he means absolutely everything to me.

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**So, I took out my copy of Mockingjay to make sure I got the dandelion thing right and then . . . well I had to read the last chapter again . . . the waterworks totally almost started. So, after reading that little part, well, I really needed just a little bit of Katniss/Peeta fluff. I mean, if it weren't for them, well, you and I would not be getting so much entertainment from this story. I thank you for reading and would absolutely love it if you would leave me a review on your way out! **


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey, Everyone! Sorry it's so late in the day that I'm updating. I just could not get myself to write. I blame it on wallowing in my self-pities. Writing about romance really makes me wish I had a boyfriend. Oh, well, enough about me. Read on!**

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Chapter Thirteen

Phoenix's POV

_*Three Weeks Later*_

"Hey! I was watching that!" Lilac exclaims as Finn changes the TV channel from some music station to a sports game.

"Too bad," He tells her. My siblings and my parents and I are all sitting in the living room together, attempting to spend quality time together; attempting being the key word.

"Finn, get the dog off the couch. There isn't enough room for him up here." Ivy tells Finn as she wriggles around in an attempt to make herself comfortable.

"You get off," Finn shoots back at her.

"Finn, stop eating like a pig. You're getting chip crumbs all over the couch." Lilac complains. Finn just eats even messier. I roll my eyes at my younger siblings' antics. The telephone in the kitchen rings and mom gets up from the love seat that she and dad are sharing to go answer it.

"Ivy, scoot over." Lilac demands.

"I can't. Finn's stupid dog is taking up half the couch." Ivy replies.

"He's not a stupid dog!" Finn exclaims. The three continue to argue with each other for the next few minutes. Something in the corner of my eye catches my attention. Mom is standing in the doorway of the living room, a sad look on her face.

"Mom, what's wrong?" I ask her, nudging my siblings to stop their incessant arguing. Mom sniffles before answering me.

"Your grandmother . . . just passed away," Mom chokes out just before sobs wrack through her body. I watch helplessly as dad gets up from the loveseat and envelopes mom in his arms. Mom sobs into dad's shoulder as he leads her to the loveseat to get her to sit down.

I glance over to my siblings. They all look a little ashamed for having been arguing when mom had just gotten the worst possible news. I reach out and take Lilac's hand in mine. She squeezes it and smiles up at me. Then, she takes Finn's hand and he, in turn, takes Ivy's hand.

I reach my open hand out to mom, who is now just sniffling. I assume she is just trying to be strong for us. She takes my hand, fresh tears welling up in her eyes. I squeeze her hand tightly.

"She had pneumonia," Mom tells us. "There were complications and . . . the doctors couldn't save her." We sit in silence for a while before mom speaks up again.

"Someone needs to tell Haymitch and Effie and Alex and Johanna and Nash and Ash and Gale and Liam. Mom was family to all of them, too." Mom says.

"I'll do it," I say, getting up from the couch.

"Are you sure, son?" Dad asks and I nod in affirmation. I grab my jacket and head out the door.

I decide to go to the Abernathy house first since they're the only ones on the right of our house. As I walk over, I try to think of how to say what I have to say. I've never told someone a family member was dead before. I knock on the door and Effie answers.

"Phoenix, dear, come in." Effie tells me and I cross through the doorway. Since all the houses in Victor's Village are basically the same, their front door leads right to their living room. Alex and Haymitch are sitting on the couch, watching a soccer game on the television.

"Haymitch, Alex, we have company." Effie says as she wipes her hands on her pink apron before giving me a hug.

"What's up?" Alex asks me.

"Well, I have some . . . bad news." I say, taking a seat on the couch. Effie perches on the arm of the couch, Haymitch's hand on her back stabilizing her.

"What is it?" Haymitch asks his face full of concern. They are all waiting for me to tell them my news.

"Um . . . Grandma passed away." I tell them, knowing full well they will know who I am talking about. Effie hands fly to her mouth as she fails to stifle her gasp. Alex's mouth falls open in disbelief. Haymitch closes his eyes, as if he thinks this will have never happened when he opens them.

"Oh, dear, so sudden," Effie says once she has regained composure.

"Complications from pneumonia," I fill them in.

"How's your mom?" Haymitch asks me.

"As to be expected." I tell him. "We just got the phone call less than an hour ago." We talk for just a few more minutes before I excuse myself. I still have two more houses to visit.

The visits go very similarly at the Hemlock's and the Hawthorne's as it did at the Abernathy house. Everyone's main concern is mom, which makes sense. Grandma was her mom. I couldn't imagine losing my mom.

By the time I am home, Effie, Haymitch, and Alex are over. Effie has made us a casserole, which is sweet. Haymitch sits with mom, offering his condolences, while dad takes a minute for himself. Grandma was just as special to him as he was to the rest of us.

Blake is over, sitting with Ivy in the living room. Finn and Lilac sit together on the loveseat. Alex, Ash, and Liam all express their condolences to each of us. Technically, Grandma was like a grandmother to them, too.

Mom tells us all to pack a suitcase because we'll be leaving in the morning for District 2, where Grandma lived. Effie helps mom make the funeral arrangements over the phone. Mom wants to have the funeral in District 2.

It's late before everyone finally goes home. Hugs are exchanged and we all plan to meet at the train station at six a.m. sharp. Blake kisses Ivy goodbye and then the house is completely void of visitors. Ivy and I take a seat together on the couch. Finn is sitting on the floor with River, petting the docile creature. Mom and dad come into the room and sit down next to me and Ivy.

"How are you guys doing?" Mom asks us.

"It's hard," Ivy replies.

"It sucks," Finn says. I can tell he's angry. He's one of those tough guys that try to hide their hurt with anger. Mom doesn't respond to Finn's outburst.

"I think you guys should all head up to bed. It's late and we all gotta be up early tomorrow." Mom says. We all nod and quietly head upstairs.

Katniss' POV

"How are you doing?" Peeta asks me as we sit together in silence.

"It hurts but I guess it was going to happen eventually." I tell him. "I'm just glad we patched up our relationship and got to spend these last eighteen years like mother and daughter. I'm really glad she had the chance to meet her grandbabies."

"Me too," Peeta says as he holds me in his arms.

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**Please don't hate me! This serves a purpose, even it is slightly beyond cruel. Thank you for reading and please review! **


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey, Every****one! Another chapter for today! You might get one more before I go to bed tonight (hopefully)! I don't really have much to say so . . . Read on!**

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Chapter Fourteen

Ivy Mellark's POV

I lean my head against the back of my seat on the train. It is six a.m. and we're heading for District 2 for my Grandma Everdeen's funeral. I still can't believe she's gone. She was always so happy to see us when she came to District 12 or when we took road trips to visit her in District 2.

Grandma Everdeen was the best grandmother anyone could have ever asked for. She was always proud of her grandchildren, no matter we had (or hadn't) accomplished. And she opened her arms to those that weren't her own; like with Alex. The second she met him, she welcomed him to be her grandchild with open arms.

Lilac takes the seat next to me. Last night she had come into my bedroom at like one o'clock in the morning. She couldn't sleep. I wasn't too surprised. I was having a tough time falling asleep. So, instead of sleeping, we had pulled out some old photo albums and reminisced.

I hear the muffled sounds of light conversation as everyone else boards the train. I can understand why mom wants to have the funeral in District 2. It just makes it a little easier to bear. The train starts moving and I let the steady motion lull me into some much needed sleep.

"Wake up," I hear Finn tell me as he shakes me lightly. I rub my eyes and look around. The sun is at its highest point in the sky. "Time for lunch," Finn tells me before he makes his way to the dining car. I wake Lilac up and we head to the dining car together.

Two hours after lunch, we pull into the District 2 train station. I can tell that mom is trying really, really hard to stay strong. She absolutely hates breaking down in front of people, especially her kids. We all changed on the train so we take taxis right to the church that Grandma's funeral will be held at.

The ceremony is very nice. Eventually, mom does break down. Dad is there to comfort her, pulling her into his arms. Lilac and Liam stand together. They haven't fully made up yet but Liam knows how much Lilac needs someone to lean on right now. Harper decided to come, to be there for Phoenix, which is sweet of her. Surely she could be doing something more fun with her weekend than attending a funeral. But she gave up her fun weekend to be there for my brother. Finn sits in a pew, holding River by the neck. Mom didn't want him to bring River but I think she realized that River is Finn's best friend and eventually broke down.

I can't help but feel alone. Blake couldn't come. He didn't really tell me why, he just said he couldn't. I wish he was here though. I wish he could wrap his arms around my shoulders and comfort me like dad is doing for mom.

I feel someone touch my arm and look up. It's Alex. He's dressed in a simple, black suit. He gives me a very small grin. We both know there is nothing to smile about. I return his grin anyway. His hand moves up to squeeze my shoulder. I can't help but lean into him. I need someone to lean on so bad.

He pulls me into him and I finally let it out. I sob into his chest, probably ruining his suit with my mascara. He just holds me tightly to him, whispering to me. I have no idea what he is saying but his voice comforts me. After a good five minutes, I pull away and wipe my eyes with the tissue that Alex offers to me.

The ceremony ends and then we all make our way to the cemetery that is behind the little church. I watch as the workers at the church lower my grandmother's casket into the six foot long, six foot deep, and three foot wide hole. The minister says a few more words that are aimed to comfort us in our grievous state.

Instead of staying overnight, we all decide that we would rather take the late train home tonight. So, after a quiet dinner at a local restaurant, we board the train once more. This time, Lilac sits with Liam. It looks as if they are trying to talk things out.

Finn and Ash sit together, attempting to teach River some sort of new trick. Phoenix and Harper are sitting together, Harper trying to get very reserved Phoenix to talk. Phoenix has never been a big talker. He'd rather just let all his emotions out through his artwork.

"Hey," Alex says as he stands in front of me.

"Hi," I reply.

"Can I sit here?" He asks, gesturing to the open seat next to me. I nod silently and he sits down. He takes out his IPod and offers me one of his ear buds. I take it, grateful for some sort of distraction. _The Scientist _by Coldplay comes on. Alex and I were obsessed with this song when we were younger. It was really only because we're science nerds.

Alex and I sit, never exchanging words, just listening to the music. Really, this has a calming sensation to it. Just sitting with him makes me feel better. And it makes me realize how much I've missed him over the last few weeks. He's my best friend.

"Alex," I say, pulling the ear bud from my ear.

"Huh?" He asks.

"I think we should talk," I tell him.

"Okay," He says.

"I'm sorry about what I said to you at that party." I tell him, looking into his deep, grey-blue eyes.

"I was out of line. It really wasn't any of my business," He replies.

"Do you think we can get over this and be friends again?" I ask him.

"Of course we can." He tells me with a smile. "As long as you don't steal my number one spot in the class," He jokes. I can't help but laugh. Oh, I've missed him so much!

"Can I ask you something?" I ask him.

"You just did," He replies with a cheeky grin. I hit his arm playfully, holding back my laughter. "Go ahead," He tells me.

"Well, it's stupid really; just something mom told me. She, ah, she thinks that you have a crush on me." I tell him.

"Oh," He replies.

"You don't . . . do you?" I ask him seriously.

"Oh, no," He tells me with a shake of his head. "You're mom's crazy." He says with a laugh.

"See, I knew you didn't have a crush on me. I mean, you would've told me by now." I say, a weight being lifted off my chest.

Alex and I continue to listen to his IPod. The world is dark except for the lights that highlight the train tracks. The steady motion of the train's movement is rather soothing and, before I know it, I am fast asleep.

Alexander Abernathy's POV

I, Alexander Cole Abernathy, am an idiot. I had the perfect chance to tell Ivy how I felt and I blew it. How could I have been so stupid! Now, I have no chance with her; absolutely none, zero, zip, nada, nothing.

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**Boys can be so stupid sometimes, can't they? Well, it looks like Ivy and Alex won't be lip locking quite yet *sigh*. Well, I guess we'll have to see how things unfold in the next few chapters. Guys, I hate to tell you this, but we're about a third of the way through this story already. Much, much shorter than No One Said It Would Be Easy. Maybe I'll make a third one . . . Please review and thanks for reading!  
**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey, Everyone! So, I just realized that it's been like four chapters since we've seen Blake! Now, I know you all don't like him, but he deserves to be part of this story just as much as Alex. Who am I kidding? I don't even believe that! Well, Read on, my lovely readers!  
**

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Chapter Fifteen

Ivy Mellark's POV

_*One Month Later*_

The wonderful scents of the Thanksgiving bounty winds its way throughout the house. Today is Thanksgiving, Finn's favorite holiday of the year. He only likes it because he can stuff himself like dad stuffs the turkeys. I pull on a pair of jeans and a Panem University sweatshirt and head downstairs.

Dad, Phoenix, and Effie are all hard at work in the kitchen, preparing our sure to be fabulous dinner for tonight. Finn, Ash, Liam, and Alex are all outside playing a game of football. Lilac is relaxing on the hammock in our backyard.

I hear Blake pull up in the front yard with his Audi and I go out to meet him. I watch as he gets out of his car and, I have to admit, he looks very, very nice in his dark wash jeans, red turtle neck sweater, and black leather jacket.

"Hey," I say to him before we exchange a quick kiss.

"Hey, babe," He replies.

"Are you sure you want to spend Thanksgiving with us? Won't your parents be upset?" I ask him. I've never met Blake's parents but what parents wouldn't want their son with them on Thanksgiving.

"They're not too into holidays and stuff," Blake tells me.

"If you say so," I reply. I lead him to the backyard where he sheds his leather jacket and hops into the game. Phoenix comes out so he can even up the teams. Finn, Phoenix, and Alex make up one team and Ash, Liam, and Blake make up the other.

I watch as the guys play their game. I wince a few times when Blake is unnecessarily rough with Alex. I know Alex is tough but Blake really could lighten up on him. He is my best friend after all.

The boys end their game when dad calls us in for dinner. We all wash our hands and head into the dining room. In the dining room, the food looks and smells absolutely amazing! My dad and Effie really do out do themselves every year at Thanksgiving. Their cooking abilities are just phenomenal!

"Alright everyone, it's time for our tradition: One thing you're thankful for this year." Mom announces. "I'll start. This year, I am thankful that my four beautiful children have grown into semi-mature, young adults." Dad, who is sitting next to mom, goes next.

"This year, I am thankful that all the teenagers that are a part of this family are doing well in all their pursuits," Dad says. Now, it is Phoenix's turn.

"This year, I am thankful for my new girlfriend, Harper." Phoenix says, turning a light shade of pink. Next up is Lilac.

"This year, I am thankful that Liam here _finally _asked me out," Lilac says and everyone at the table chuckles and Liam turns a bit red.

"This year, I'm thankful I got the courage up to ask you out," Liam says, smirking at Lilac. The two share a kiss and dad looks away quickly. Some things will never change. Now, it is my turn.

"Well, this year, I have a lot of things to be thankful for. I wish I could narrow it down to just one but I can't. So, I'll give you two. First, I am very thankful for my wonderful boyfriend of six months." I say, squeezing Blake's hand. "And second, I am thankful that Alex and I were able to patch up our friendship," I say, looking over at Alex who is directly across from me. He gives me a shy smile and nods his head. After a few seconds of silence, I nudge Blake.

"What?" He asks me.

"It's your turn," I tell him.

"Oh, no, I don't do this stuff," He says. Tell me he's joking?

"Okay, well, then I guess it is Finn's turn." I say after Blake's continual silence.

"It's bad, I know, but this year I'm thankful Alex broke Blake's elbow. I was so pumped that I got to play more this season!" Finn says and we all laugh. Well, Blake doesn't laugh. He just looks kinda pissed off.

We go around the table. Really, there is so much to be thankful about this year that there's no way we could say all of them in just one day. I do love this tradition so much. It's just a good habit, saying what you're thankful for each year. We really should do it more often.

Once the last person has gone, we dig into the food. The first bite of wild turkey that hits my tongue is just amazingly unbelievable! It really should be illegal for food to taste this good! Sometimes, I wish my dad wasn't an amazing cook. That would make keeping the pounds off so much easier!

After enjoying the wonderful dinner, we all end up in the living room. A few years ago, we started another tradition. We all sit together in the living room and each of us tells a funny or cute or stupid story they have of something that happened this year. Grandpa Haymitch always has the most embarrassing stories about Alex.

"So, he's going down the road and I'm yelling at him not to hit the throttle. And what does the boy do? He hits that damned throttle and ends up on his ass while the bike keeps going. Well, at least until it hits a mail box." Everyone roars in laughter while Alex just turns a bright shade of red.

I feel Blake tug on my arm and I look over at him. He motions for me to follow him outside. I do and we end up on the front porch.

"I gotta get going," He tells me once we were outside.

"Aww, do you really have to?" I ask him. I really wish he would stay.

"Yeah but I'll see ya tomorrow. We'll go hang out in the meadow or something." He tells me. He kisses my forehead before turning and heading to his car.

I really wish he would be more involved with my family. I swear, he tries to spend as little time with them as possible. He never wants to talk about them that much either. Oh, well, at least he came tonight. That was a big thing for him since he's never really celebrated holidays before. I guess his parents aren't into that kind of stuff. As I watch his car disappear down the road, I can't help but think that I am a very lucky young woman. I have a great boyfriend, a loving family, and the most awesome best friend anyone could ever have asked for. And I am thankful for it all.

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**So Blake ain't lovin the whole family thing, huh? Hmmm . . . I wonder how things are gonna unfold with the holiday season coming up . . . I guess we'll find out! Thanks for reading and please review!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey, Everyone! You know that crazy day when I updated 8 chapters in like a 12 hour period? Yeah, I don't ever think that's going to happen again . . . Took me forever to write this chapter, and it's not even that good. Well, without further ado, Read on!**

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Chapter Sixteen

Alexander Abernathy's POV

_*One Month Later*_

I pull the red sweater on that my mom bought for me last week and head downstairs. It is Christmas morning and Christmas cheer is definitely prevalent in the Abernathy house. Christmas has always been my mom's favorite holiday. Mom is desperately trying to pry dad from bed since we have to be over at the Mellarks' in half an hour. It's funny that dad isn't a morning person when both mom and I are. Once mom finally pulls dad from bed and he gets dressed, we head over to the Mellarks'.

At the Mellarks', we are the last to arrive. The house is already bustling with the members of our adopted family. Hugs and "Merry Christmases" are exchanged and gifts are placed under the amazing tree that dad and I helped Uncle Peeta with just last week.

Katniss tells me that all the teens are in the living room and I head that way. In the living room, Finn, Ash, Liam, Lilac, Phoenix, Ivy, and Blake are all hanging out and laughing.

"Alex is here!" Finn yells as he gets up and tries putting me into a headlock. It's a good thing I'm faster than he is.

"Merry Christmas," Ivy says to me, giving me a hug. We all resume our chatting and joking around. Finn, as usual, starts talking about the current sport: basketball. I had let the little dweeb talk me into trying out for the team and, surprisingly, I had actually made varsity. I didn't get a whole lot of playing time, thought. Blake, of course, was the superstar point guard.

Whenever we scrimmaged in practice, Blake always had to guard me on defense, every single time. He would push me over and he's probably fouled me a few hundred times already this season. Finn's always telling me I should show him how good I am at hand-to-hand combat that my dad taught me. I always decline though. I don't really need to screw things up any further with Ivy than I already have.

"Alright guys, it's time to open presents!" Aunt Katniss calls as she enters the living room. "As usual, we'll go in alphabetical order. So, Alex, that means you're first!" In just a few seconds, there is a small pile of gifts in front of me.

I start opening them and get a few "We aren't saving the paper!" from my family members. I get books mainly. I'm a total reading nut so I know these will all be read in just a few months. I do get a sweater as a joint present from Lilac and Ivy. Phoenix gives me a caricature of me as a mad scientist. It's pretty good actually. My last present is a picture of a red 2013 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe from my dad.

"What do you think?" He asks me.

"It's totally hot," I tell him.

"We'll be restoring it this summer before you go to college," Dad tells me and I am completely blown away. This is amazing!

We continue the present opening in the alphabetical fashion, meaning that Blake is next. The guy totally does not seem to be into this whole Christmas thing, even though he's getting some pretty nice gifts from the family. I swear this family is the best at gift giving in all of Panem.

After the present opening, we all head into the dining room to enjoy the feast the Phoenix and Uncle Peeta cooked up for us. The ham and the sweet potatoes is the perfect combination! I don't think I've ever disliked something that Uncle Peeta cooked.

Blake leaves about half way through the night, telling Ivy he has to catch the last train out to the Capitol. Apparently, he has family there. They kiss goodbye and I can't help but feel jealous of Blake. I wish I could kiss Ivy like that. I can only imagine how great her lips would feel against mine own.

As the night goes on, all the adults retire to bed and us kids stay up watching stupid movies. Finn begs and pleads for an action film but loses out to the girls, who want a comedy-drama. As the night goes on, Ivy ends up snuggled up to me; I can feel my heart rate spike at the contact. It gets even worse when she actually falls asleep with her head on my chest, the luscious scent of her shampoo wafting its way up to my nose; sweet, sweet torture.

Lilac Mellark's POV

_*One Week Later*_

It is New Year's eve, my favorite holiday of the year. I love it because you get to party and nobody thinks you're crazy! Like every year, Alex hosts a party in his amazing basement. I swear I wish Effie and Haymitch were my parents sometime. Alex always has the best New Year's party in the entire District!

Liam and I enter the basement, hand in hand. We managed to patch things up a few weeks after Ash kissed me. I told him, honestly, that I was still confused about it all. I was lucky that he so understood and didn't mind giving me my time to think, while still being my boyfriend.

The party is already totally happening. The music is blaring and everyone is out on the makeshift dance floor that is on one end of the room. On the other end of the room are the two bowling lanes that Grandpa Haymitch had put in two years ago. In between the dance floor and the bowling lanes, there are a few couches and chairs for sitting and a bar, non-alcoholic of course.

Ivy is bowling with Alex, Phoenix, and Harper against another team of seniors. Blake is still in the Capitol, visiting his family. Honestly, I think it's weird that Ivy hasn't even met Blake's parents yet. I actually thought he was, like, an orphan or something for the first few months of their relationship. That was, until he had to go to the Capitol to visit his parents in July.

I pull Liam onto the dance floor with me. Our bodies move to the music in sync. Liam really is a great dancer, which is a quality a boyfriend must have. I run my fingers through his black hair as we dance and his hands rest on my hips.

The way he's looking at me makes me believe that I did make the right choice. We haven't said the words yet, but the way he's looking at me makes me feel like he loves me. But, I still can't help but worry about things between me and Ash. Ash has been my best friend since before I was born. Our parents decided it before I had even entered the world. I just hope I'm not screwing things up.

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**Oh, teenage drama! Somethings never will change, will they? What could Blake possibly doing in the Capitol? Is he really visiting his parent? I guess we'll have to find out in future chapters. Please review and thanks a million for reading!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey, Everyone! Now, I know I said that surprise was coming in a few chapters, well, that's more like 12 chapters . . . It's towards the end. Don't worry, they'll be plenty of drama between now and then! I won't bore you anymore than I already have. Read on!  
**

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Chapter Seventeen

Ivy's POV

The only reason I'm excited that Christmas break is over, is because I get to see Blake again. He had been in the Capitol visiting family for most of the break. He had called me last night to tell me he got back to the District okay and that he would be driving me to school the next morning. So, now, I was waiting anxiously by the front door for him to arrive.

I wave to Phoenix as he pulls the SUV out of our driveway, Finn, Lilac, Liam, and Ash accompanying him. I watch as Alex drives down the street in the bright yellow Hummer that Grandpa Haymitch bought him for the killer District 12 winters. I grow increasingly anxious as it gets closer and closer to eight o'clock. Finally, Blake pulls up in his Audi. I rush out and hop into the car, fearing being tardy.

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" I ask him and he shakes his head. "Well, hurry up; we're going to be late for homeroom."

"Oh, we aren't going to school today." He tells me as he starts driving down the road.

"What are you talking about?" I ask him in confusion.

"Ivy, babe, you only live once. When was the last time you did something bad?" He asks me.

"Never," I tell him. I've never done something bad on purpose. That's just stupid.

"Well, it's time we changed that." Blake says, smiling at me as he drives us toward the edge of town.

"Where are we going?" I ask him.

"I have no idea," He tells me with a grin.

"Blake, I don't think this is a good idea," I tell him.

"Babe, relax. It's just one day. I bet no one will even notice you're gone." Blake says. I sigh. Maybe he's right. What could one day of skipping class really do?

Alexander Abernathy's POV

I get a little worried when Ivy and Blake don't show up for homeroom. He was supposed to pick her up and drive her to school this morning. What if he blew her off? Ivy would be totally freaking out. She hates missing school. What if she's walking her? It's over five miles from Victor's Village. I sigh and make the decision: After homeroom, I'm going to go find her.

Homeroom finally ends and I go to my locker to grab my backpack before sneaking out of the school. I've never done anything like this. You don't get to the top of your class by cutting school. I jump into my car and head to Victor's Village.

I don't see anyone in the Mellarks' house and there is not sign of either Ivy or Blake by the houses. I am scanning my surroundings. I spot Blake's Audi heading for the edge of town. Quickly, I ditch the Hummer for our black Ford Escalade. It has tinted windows throughout so that they won't be able to notice that it's me following them.

In less than five minutes, I am trailing them from a safe distance away. I really have no idea where he's taking her. There really isn't a whole lot outside of town in eastern District 12. There's just a whole bunch of coal mines that are outside of town, most of them haven't been touched in a decade.

A few years after my parents, my biological ones, died in that mine explosion, they decided to shut down the coal mines in District 12 for good. Most of Panem now ran on electrical and solar power today anyway. So, basically, outside of town was like a ghost town.

I still remember the day my parents sat me down to tell me about my biological parents. Mom had been a total wreck. She actually thought I was going to reject her or something even after everything they did for me. After they basically rescued me from who knows what kind of life, I don't think I could ever feel anything but eternal gratitude towards them.

Finally, Blake stops his car. Quickly, I turn the Escalade and park behind a sparse patch of trees. Man, I feel like a total stalker. I watch as Blake and Ivy exit the Audi. Blake has something in his hand. I try adjusting my view but I just can't get a clear look at it.

Ivy and Blake are laughing about something. And that's when he does it: he throws whatever he has in his hand a few yards away from them. A few seconds later, it makes a little explosion. Blake just laughs while Ivy is a little freaked out and confused.

It this guy an idiot! Does he have no idea what could happen? This is an old coal mining site and he's setting of freaking explosives! I knew he was stupid but, c'mon, he can't be this stupid!

I know I shouldn't do it. I know that I really, really should not do it. But, I do it anyway. I get out of my car and run over to the stupid jerk. I shove him and swiftly grab the explosives from his hand. The look on his face . . . let's just say I'm glad looks can't kill.

"Dude, what the hell are you doing?" He asks me.

"What am I doing? You're throwing explosives at an old mining site and you're asking me what I'm doing?" I spit back at him.

"Alex, what are you doing here? Did you follow us?" Ivy asks. I do not have the guts to face her. "I can't believe this. Why would you follow us?"

"I wanted to make sure you were safe," I tell her through gritted teeth. Great, now she's going to be pissed at me. I just wanted to make sure this jerk wasn't going to take her to some weird place and . . . I don't even want to think about it.

"I can take care of myself, Alexander. I do not need you to protect me. My mom taught me how to fight just like your dad did for you." Ivy tells me. "Blake isn't some psychopath! He cares about me! He loves me! And I love him! So, please, just stay out of our relationship. It doesn't concern you."

"I'm sorry," I mumble before heading back to my car.

I get in my car and head back for town. She loves him. She loves Blake. Ivy loves Blake. Ivy Sky Mellark loves Blake Hadrian Smith. They're in love. I've totally messed up. I missed my chance. That's it. It's over.

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**Alex just can't get a break can he? *sigh* ****Now what is he going to do?** **Please review and thanks so much for reading! **


	18. Chapter 18

**Hey, Everyone! S****orry this chapter took so long. I had this weird urge to clean my room and reorganize my closet. But, it's done now! And I like it! So, read on!**

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Chapter Eighteen

Haymitch Abernathy's POV

_*Three Months Later*_

"Good morning," I whisper into my sleeping wife's ear. Today is our seventeenth wedding anniversary. Sometimes it's hard to believe that it's been seventeen years. I've been married to the most wonderful woman on the face of the earth for seventeen years.

"Good morning, Haymitch," Effie breathes as she snuggles closer into my side.

"Happy anniversary," I tell her, my fingers absentmindedly playing with a stray lock of her blonde hair.

"Happy anniversary," She replies, kissing me lightly on the lips.

We spend the morning in bed, not wanting to part from each other. Peeta had given Effie the day off from the bakery in honor of our anniversary. There is nothing more on this earth that I love more than spending time with my wife.

When we hear Alex returning home from school, we finally pry ourselves out of bed. We head downstairs and find Alex and Ivy working together on their homework; most likely for some science class.

"Happy Anniversary," Ivy bids us, taking a break from her work to hug us both.

"Thank you, dear," Effie replies with a smile. She and I both view and love Ivy like a daughter and the same goes for all the Mellark kids.

"I hope you guys are ready for tonight's party," Ivy says with a devious grin.

"Oh, we sure are, sweetheart." I tell her with a grin of my own.

"How was school?" Effie asks the teens. I half listen as my son and adopted granddaughter tell my wife about their day at school. Honestly, I have no idea how Alex go to be so smart. Lord knows I wasn't reading him textbooks before bed every night. I did love all the crazy experiments we did together as he was growing up. At least once a day we would get a disapproving look from Effie for whatever shenanigans we happen to be doing at the time. It was great having a partner in crime.

Honestly, I don't think that there is anything more satisfying than watching the boy you raised turn in a good, young man. Alex was the best kid anyone could have ever asked for. He's smart, athletic, he doesn't drink or do drugs, he's honest, and was always willing to help out around the house. Now, if the damn boy could tell the girl sitting across from him that he was hopelessly in love with her, well, then I could say I have the perfect son.

About an hour later, Ivy excuses herself to go help out with getting ready for mine and Effie's party. Effie and I had tried to tell the kids that we didn't need a party but they wouldn't listen. They were hell-bent on this party. So, Effie and I gave up and let them do whatever they wanted to.

Another hour later and Alex is pestering us to get ready and get our butts out the door. Well, he was going to say "asses". Oh, the death glare Effie gave him for that one was hilarious! Effie's never been one for swearing and she'll be damned if any son of hers is going to pick up the filthy habit (Technically she called it _my _filthy habit). I really do love my wife and all her little quarks.

"Haymitch, stop that!" Effie commands me as my hand ghosts over her ass as I help her zit up her dress.

"You used to be fun," I tease her as I kiss her cheek.

"I can be fun, just not when we have some where to be." Effie tells me, leaving the room with a flirtatious wink. I definitely love this woman.

Effie and I let Alex lead us over to the Mellarks' house while we cover our eyes.

"Alright, you can open your eyes." Alex tells us. Just as I am uncovering my eyes, everyone at the party shouts "Happy Anniversary" to us. The kids have definitely outdone themselves. The Mellarks' backyard is decorated to the nines. There is a huge a banner that reads "Happy Anniversary" and there are several smaller signs that read things like "You haven't killed each other yet! Congratulations!" and "Seventeen years! That's more than my entire existence".

On a long picnic table there is a cake that is identical to the one that Effie and I had at our wedding, no doubt baked by Phoenix. There are also several pizzas, each containing its own different toppings.

There is a mini stage and dance floor in the yard and I already know that Effie will pester me to dance with her until I give in. I can't dance but my wife seems to forget that every time we're at some sort of event that has a dance floor. I also can't help but wonder if we'll be treated to some sort of show with the stage being equipped with sound and light equipment.

"Attention, attention," Lilac says as she taps the microphone to gain everyone's attention. "Well, as you all know, we are here to celebrate the seventeenth anniversary of Haymitch and Effie Trinket." Everyone claps and I can feel my cheeks heat up. I've never been one for public affairs, which is ironic since I was in the Hunger Games and worked as a mentor for so many years. "Honestly, after everything my parents told me about these two, it's a true miracle that they're still together. And that Alex didn't end up totally messed up." Again, everyone chuckles. "Well, to start tonight off, Ash and I believe we've found a song that perfectly describes both Haymitch and Effie and we'll be performing it together." Ash, which got set up on the stage while Lilac was speaking, now begins to play a song on his guitar.

"I am insensitive, I have a tendency to pay more attention to the things that I need. Sometimes I drink too much, sometimes I test your trust and sometimes I dunno why you're staying with me?" Ash sings as he strums his guitar. Those lyrics definitely ring true, especially for the old Haymitch. I wrap my arm around Effie's shoulders and pull her close to my side.

"I'm hard to love, hard to love; I don't make it easy; I couldn't do it if I stood where you stood. I'm hard to love, hard to love, you say that you need me, I don't deserve it but I love that you love me, good." Lilac and Ash sing together in perfect harmony. It's obvious they've both put a lot of work into this performance. I can't help but notice how well their voices blend together, almost like they were born to sing with each other.

"I am a short fuse; I am a wrecking ball crashing into your heart like I do. You're like a Sunday morning full of grace and full of Jesus. I wish that I could be more like you." Effie sinks deeper into my embrace as the song goes on. The scent of her strawberry shampoo puts a smile on my face.

"I'm hard to love, hard to love; I don't make it easy; I couldn't do it if I stood where you stood. I'm hard to love, hard to love, you say that you need me, I don't deserve it but I love that you love me, good, love me good." I place a soft kiss on the top of my lovely wife's head, her beautiful blonde hair tickling my face.

"Girl you've given me a million second chances and I don't ever wanna take you for granted, I'm just a man; I'm just a man." Ash sings. "Hard to love, hard to love, oh I don't make it easy and I couldn't do it if I stood where you stood. I'm hard to love, hard to love and you say that you need me, I don't deserve it but I love that you love me, good." Lilac and Ash finish up together. It's true; I do not deserve this wonderful woman I am holding in my arms. Thank God she chose me.

Everyone claps as Ash and Lilac exit the stage. Lilac puts some music on the Mellarks' outdoor radio and Effie drags me out onto the dance floor. I grumble a bit, not wanting Effie to know that I would willingly dance with her whenever she asked me to.

"I love you," She whispers to me as we sway to the music.

"I love you, too." I whisper back to her.

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**Sorry if you don't like Hayffie but someone requested a little bit of Hayffie and I was more than happy to oblige! I 3 Hayffie. Please review and thanks for reading.**

**P.S. I'm currently watching the Dateline special on the shooting in the Aurora, CO movie theater at the Batman Midnight premier. My heart goes out to all those affected by this horrible situation. My prayers go out to all affected and I hope that we can all use this very sad turn of events to strengthen out faith in both God and our police/medical forces, and even some of the heroes that are in this world.  
**


	19. Chapter 19

**Hey, Everyone! I swear, I started this right after I posted the last chapter . . . it's just that a bunch of stuff got in the middle of my attempt at writing. *Sigh* Well, at least it's here! Read on!**

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Chapter Nineteen

Alexander Abernathy's POV

"Are you sure you'll be alright by yourself for the weekend?" Mom asks me for the one billionth time. She and dad are taking a weekend trip to a beach house they rented that's on the coast of District 12.

"Mom, I promise you, I will be fine. Ivy, Blake, and I are just gonna start on our history project." I reassure my mother. I have no idea how she's going to handle it when I go to college this fall.

"Alright, well, don't work too hard. There are snacks in the kitchen and you guys can order pizza for dinner if you want. The money's under the cookie jar." Mom tells me. She kisses my face like six times before dad finally pries her off of me. I laugh as mom and dad both wave goodbye to me before getting into the 911 Porsche turbo. Dad and I restored that car fourteen years ago as his first Father's Day present.

An hour later, Ivy, Blake, and I are sitting around the kitchen table. Over these last few months, I've been trying to befriend Blake. Oddly enough, the routine tackles I would get in gym class have come to an abrupt stop and he's stop calling me "nerd" every single time he sees me. I guess people can change.

Around the time the sun sinks below the horizon, the doorbell rings. Confused, I go and answer it.

"Yo! What's up, boy genius?" Jake, one of Blake's friends from the football team says as I answer the door.

"Ummmm, nothing much," I reply.

"Yo! Blake, where you at?" Jake calls.

"Dude, what's happening?" Blake asks his friend. I roll my eyes. What is it with football jocks?

"Dude, so I heard that Nerd's parents are out of town and I invited the whole senior class to a kickass party here tonight." Jake says. What the hell?

"That's awesome, bro. I'll order the pizzas." Blake says as he grabs my house phone. I know I should stop them but the odds are that Ivy would view it as me just being mean. So, as hard as it is, I bite my tongue. How bad could one party be?

Two hours later, I am kicking myself for letting Ivy's jerk of a boyfriend throw this party. It is completely out of hand. The music is so loud I'm sure the Capitol citizens are complaining. Blake ordered like a hundred pizzas and my parents are going to be so pissed off. And, to top it all off, some dumbass brought a keg of beer. I am so dead.

Haymitch Abernathy's POV

"I can't believe the shape that beach house was in!" I exclaim for the thousandth time since Effie and I left the coast. "It was a complete dump! I'm telling you, it looked worse than my house did when I was a drunk."

"I'm disappointed, too, Haymitch. I was truly looking forward to having a weekend alone with you." Effie tells me.

"You know we could kick Alex out of the house for the weekend and celebrate our anniversary at home," I suggest with a waggle of my eyebrows.

"Haymitch, keep your eyes on the road." Effie laughs. "That isn't too terrible of an idea," I hear her mumble underneath her breath. Yep, I definitely love this woman.

The ride back home is tiring. I can only imagine how Peeta feels right now. He, Katniss, Gale, Johanna, and Nash all took a trip to District 4 to visit Annie and Kyle. This was a nice thing about having teenagers; you can leave them home alone for a weekend and not worry about them dying. Well, you don't have to worry too much.

"I can't believe Alex leaves for college in less than six months," Effie says, suddenly going from giggly and flirtatious to serious and sad.

"Oh, Ef, he'll just be in the Capitol. He could come home every weekend on the train. Plus, then we'd have an excuse to go to the Capitol. I know you still like to shop there." I tell her.

"It just won't be the same," Effie sighs.

"I know," I say, reaching over to place my hand over Effie's. Honestly, I have no idea what I'm going to do with myself after Alex is in college. The kid's been in my life for the past 14 years. I never thought I could love someone as much as I love him; and Effie, of course.

Finally, we're back in town. For a guy that loves restoring old cars, I really should not hate driving this much. But, I refused to let Effie drive the Porsche. It's like my baby! It was the first car Alex and I ever restored together.

"What's going on down there?" Effie asks as we turn onto our street in Victor's Village.

"I have no idea," I tell her as I squint, trying to get a better look at the fiasco. And that's when I see it. The mailbox that reads: Abernathys. There is a wild, teenage party going on at my house.

I pick up speed and, before I know it, I'm doing eighty and Effie is yelling at me to slow down. I slam on the brakes just as some idiot teenager jumps in front of my car. What the hell is wrong with them?

I get out of the car and slam the door, really not caring if I hurt it. I am looking around furiously for my son. I know he's here somewhere. And that's when I spot him; standing near a beer keg and holding a red cup. **(A/N: Red solo cup! I fill you up! Haymitch is gonna end this party!) **

Before I know it, I'm yelling at teenagers to get the hell off my property. It takes them all a few seconds before they realize I'm the Victor of the Second Quarter Quell and could seriously hurt them if they don't do exactly what I ask. But, once they figure it out, they book their asses' home pretty quickly. Once most of the delinquents are gone, I turn to my son.

"What exactly do you think you're doing?" I seethe the question at him.

"Dad, I-" He starts.

"And what the hell is this?" I ask him, grabbing the red cup from his hands. Its contents splash onto my hand and the scent of alcohol wafts up to my nose.

"Haymitch, please settle down. You don't need to yell at him." Effie tells me, her hand holding on my left bicep.

"Dad, I'm sorry. It was Blake's idea. I know it's not an excuse. I just . . . I just didn't want Ivy to get mad at me if I didn't let Blake throw this party." Alex tells me. He really does look sorry.

"Open your mouth," I demand him. He looks confused but does it anyway. I sniff his breath. No alcohol.

"You're a good kid," I tell him before going into the house. "But you're totally cleaning up this yard tomorrow."

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**I can't even imagine how Haymitch would have reacted if Alex had actually been drinking! Talk about scary! It looks like Blake is trying to be . . . more friendly towards Alex . . . Hmmmmm . . . oh! I have a piece of news! Okay, so I got contact by another fanfic author to join a 24/24 Collaboration and write about my very own Tribute for the 34th Annunal Hunger Games! So, it looks as if Alexander Cole will be going in the Games! Be sure to be on the look out for this fanfic. I'll post you guys the title when it makes its debut! Im so excited! I already have so many ideas! Please review and thanks for reading!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Hey, Eve****ryone! Here's another chapter! I'm gonna try to get you guys like three or four so hopefully I can. Things are gonna start getting . . . well . . . why don't you just read? That sounds good to me! Read on! :D**

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Chapter Twenty

Katniss' POV

Peeta pulls the SUV into the driveway and I can't help but think how great it is to be home. I really do love visiting Annie and Kyle; it's just that the drive is so long. And I'm not even driving. Peeta and I go into the house and I can't help but desire to sleep in our bed for a solid twelve hours. But, the kids will be home from school in less than an hour. I have missed my crazy children dearly.

I decide to watch some TV while I wait for the kids to come home from school. Peeta had decided to go to the bakery and see how Effie is doing on her own. Apparently their weekend getaway did end up going as planned.

I flip through the channels until I come to _Panem New: Keeping you updated. _My kids think I'm crazy but I like watching the news and seeing what's going on in the world. Sometimes Ivy will watch with me but that's only when there's new breakthroughs in the science world.

A segment on new tree nurseries in District 7 is going on when it is interrupted and the screen goes to a picture of Desmond Remington, one of the members of the Council of Peace. Peeta and I still have our disagreements about Remington but we have learned not to let it get in the way of our relationship.

"This just in, the Council of Peace has just revoked Panem's citizens' right to vote." The news caster informs the country. I swear I feel my heart stop. How could this have happened? How could Gale have let this happen?

"Council member Desmond Remington says that this new and sudden development is to ensure that the right decisions are made for the country without the interference from citizens that may or may not understand what they are voting for or may be voting after being pressurized from others." The newscaster says. That doesn't even make sense! How can they even take away our voting rights?

I go to the kitchen, grab the phone, and dial Gale's number. He's been in the Capitol for the last week probably trying to stop this development. At first, he was on the Council representing District 2 but he changed Districts a few years after to moving to District 12. I can honestly say that District 12 has never had such a great representative.

"Catnip, I knew you'd be calling me." Gale answers.

"Gale, how could you let this happen?" I ask him, trying to keep my voice calm.

"Katniss, I tried to fight it. Desmond is just so popular in the Capitol. Not to mention that everyone else on the Council is on his side. I swear it's like he brainwashed all of them! I don't get how they can all be for this. It's ridiculous!" Gale tells me.

"Is there anything you can do?" I ask him.

"Not really," He says. "We voted and, since we're a democracy, the majority won."

"There has to be something in the constitution that says this can't happen," I tell him.

"I've spent all week going through every governmental document in the Capitol. None of them say anything about taking away people's right to vote." Gale replies. "Listen, I can't tell you over the phone, but I think I have a solution to this problem. I'll be back in District 12 tomorrow. We can discuss this further then and Catnip?"

"What?" I ask him.

"We'll fix this," He tells me before hanging up. I hang the phone back up and lean against the kitchen wall. I really hope Gale is right. I really hope we can fix this before it gets too out of hand.

I am just collecting myself together when the kids walk through the back door. They're all chattering about whatever. I hope I can keep my babies safe. I couldn't live if something happened to them.

"How was school?" I ask them, giving them each a quick hug.

"Ugh, school," Lilac groans and I can't hold back my smile. She's never been one to love school. She'd much rather just sing all day.

"It was good." Ivy tells me. "We did an awesome lab in AP biology today." How my daughters ended up so different, I have no idea.

"Where's dad?" Phoenix asks me.

"He's at the bakery," I tell him. Phoenix tells me he going to see if Peeta needs any help and then is out the door.

"Liam and I are gonna go shoot some hoops," Finn tells me, grabbing an apple and exits the house. My boys are complete opposites, too. It's like each of our kids got a specific trait from either me or Peeta.

"Ash and I have to practice our song for the talent show. I'll be back around dinner time." Lilac tells me as she walks out the door. I look over to Ivy and see the look on her face. Obviously, she has somewhere to go also but she doesn't want to tell me.

"Go," I tell her with a chuckle. She probably has plans with Blake. Peeta and the boys don't seem to like Blake that much but I don't see the big deal about it. Granted, it's weird that we've never met his family but I probably wouldn't have brought Peeta home to meet my parents if things had been different when we were teenagers. And it's not like Ivy is going to marry her first boyfriend. As long as he treats her well, that's all that matters.

Around six, all the kids flood back into the house. A few minutes later, I put dinner on the table. All the kids tell Peeta and me about school and sports and how Alex got totally busted by Haymitch on Saturday night for a party; Ivy, of course, stands up for Alex, saying that it had actually been Blake's idea to throw the party.

It is kind of funny to see my own daughter not noticing who she really loves. She might have actual feelings for Blake but it's very obvious that she loves Alex dearly. I cannot wait until the day that they both figure out that they belong together. Haymitch and I are going to be king and queen of "I told you so" when that day finally comes.

After dinner, the kids go up to their rooms to work on their homework. I take the moment of alone time to tell Peeta about the voting rights being revoked. He, as I was, is outraged. I calm him down and tell him of the conversation Gale and I had.

"Katniss, I'm sorry." He tells me.

"Why are you sorry?" I ask him.

"You were right," He says. "You were right about Desmond Remington." I smile sadly. I really wish I hadn't been right.

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**Uh oh . . . Desmond Remington is going to mess things up for this big happy family! What could Gale's plan be? Will Katniss and Peeta go along with it? What role will the kids play? So many questions! Don't worry. They'll all be answered sooner or later. Thanks for reading! Don't forget to review on your way out! :D  
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	21. Chapter 21

**Hey, Everyone! ****Yay! Another chapter! Things are gonna start getting interesting pretty soon! I am so excited about it! I really hope you guys enjoy what I have in store! Well, what are you waiting for? Read on!**

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Chapter Twenty-One

Katniss' POV

"Gale, thank God you're here," I say as I pull Gale into a hug. After our embrace, I lead him into the living room. Sitting in my living room are Peeta, Johanna, Nash, Haymitch, and Effie. I told them all about the revoking of the citizens' right to vote. As to be expected, Johanna and Haymitch were both outraged. I heard words and phrases come out of Haymitch's mouth that I haven't even heard of before.

"Hurry up and tell us this plan of yours!" Haymitch demands as soon as Gale enters the room.

"Haymitch, don't be rude!" Effie chastises him.

"No, it's okay. I'm just going to jump right in and tell you what I think we should do." Gale says. After a brief pause, he continues. "I think we should storm the Capitol." He gets mixed reactions from the group. Haymitch and Johanna are totally for it, obviously. They're already discussing weapons with each other. Effie and Peeta are both totally against it, shouting at Gale about how ludicrous and dangerous that is. Nash looks like he's silently contemplating, though I do notice that he has his hand on Johanna's leg, like he's afraid something will happen to her.

"Everyone, calm down!" I shout over everyone else's voices. "I'm sure Gale has already thought of some sort of strategy." I tell them. Everyone quiets down and we wait for Gale to inform us of his strategy.

"Alright, well, you all know that, after the Rebellion, the Capitol was rebuilt. Citizens wanted every trace of old Panem to be wiped away. They did some serious reconstruction of everything from mall to public transport systems to the sewers." Gale says and, with that last part, I know what he's planning.

"You want us to travel through the sewers," I conclude, images of Finnick and lizard mutts flashing through my mind.

"Yes but, this time, it's much less dangerous since there won't be any genetically enhanced lizards or mutts to contend with.

"How are we even supposed to know where the sewers lead? We could get lost for months!" Peeta replies.

"Oh, well," Gale begins with a sheepish grin, "I stole these maps from the treasury." He says, pulling a few maps from his backpack.

"Alright, well, what were you thinking for this . . . this . . ." Johanna tries to come up with something to call this little plan of ours.

"Rebellion," Haymitch supplies with a grin. We all laugh but agree that that is basically what this is. We are starting yet another rebellion.

"Well, I have most of it planned out. Desmond Remington will never step down from his position. He's addicted to his power. There's only one way we can get him out of the picture: Assassination." Gale tells us. Everyone in the room is silent. After a few minutes, I have to break the deafening silence.

"Aren't you worried about your job?" I ask him. If this succeeds, odds are Gale will be fired before we're even back to District 12.

"Not as worried as I am about our kids going into the Hunger Games," He answers me. His jaw is set tightly and his gaze is unwavering. He's spent a lot of time thinking about this.

"Alright, well, run us through your plans," I tell him.

"Okay, well, first off, we'll be split up into two groups: Task Force Alpha and Task Force Beta, TFA and TFB for short. The first group, which consists of me, Katniss, and Peeta, will be traveling through the sewage system. All the Council members have rooms in the Capitol Justice Building but Remington is the only one that stays there full time. I know the exact route through

"Once we're in, we find Remington. Now, I'm leaving it up to Katniss if she wants to be the one to shoot this guy." Gale says and I am taken aback. He wants me to kill the most powerful man in all of Panem?

"Oh, well, I can do it." I say.

"Are you sure?" Gale asks me.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I am the better shot." I tease him. He chuckles before continuing.

"Task Force Beta, which consists of Johanna, Nash, and Haymitch, your job is super important. The night we're going to do this is the same night as Panem's annual Independence extravaganza. The streets of the Capitol will be in complete celebration. Your job is to make sure that no one enters or exits the Capitol Justice Building after I tell you so. We'll be using walkie talkies to communicate." Gale stops and takes a breath.

"You really have this all figured out, don't you?" Peeta asks Gale. I can tell that Peeta is extremely skeptical about this whole project. I guess it makes sense, after what happened the last time we were part of a Rebellion. We may have come out on top but we still lost a lot of people in that fight.

Everyone in the room is silent, lost in their own thoughts. I can already tell that Haymitch and Johanna will be on board. Those two are always up for a fight. Effie looks totally freaked out by all this and she's not even going to the Capitol. Haymitch had already declared that he wouldn't allow her. He didn't want anything to happen to her, not after the torture she already endured.

"I'm in," I say, breaking the silence.

"Me too," Haymitch says.

"Count me in," Johanna states.

"Same for me," Nash says.

"What about you, Peeta?" Gale asks. Peeta remains thoughtful for a moment longer.

"Katniss doesn't leave my side," He states as a condition. Gale agrees and Peeta joins the mission.

Gale unrolls all the maps and takes out a list of people that goes in and out of the Capitol Justice Building every day and the times they do so. Haymitch, Johanna, and Peeta jump right into the strategizing. Effie even offers up some insight into the streets surrounding the Capitol Justice Building. It really is nice to have a former Capitolonian on our side. _God, I hope this works, _I think. _And I hope no one gets hurt. _

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**Gale, the man with the plan! I guess we'll find out soon how things pan out! In the mean time, I would love it if you would review! And thanks for reading! **_  
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	22. Chapter 22

**Hey, Everyone! Another chapter! Hopefully you'll get another one before I go to bed tonight (or early tomorrow morning). Things are certainly heating up! By all means, read on!**

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Chapter Twenty-Two

Ivy Mellark's POV

_*One Week Later*_

For the last week, my parents, Grandpa Haymitch, Aunt Johanna, Uncle Nash, and Uncle Gale have all been training and talking about some secret mission. I've tried sneaking around and trying to hear something about it but mom always catches me. For some reason she doesn't want me to know about whatever it is they're planning.

Well, I think I deserve to know. Obviously it's something dangerous. And if it's dangerous, that means someone could get hurt. And if someone can get hurt, that means someone could die. If someone could die, I think I deserve to know something about this. It's just the logical thing.

Phoenix keeps telling me I'm crazy but Blake agrees with me. He seems really interested in this, too, which is odd since he's not one for having anything to do with familial situations. It's nice to have him finally interested in something that has to do with my family.

"Kids, can you guys come down here for a minute!" I here dad yell up the stairs. I sigh as I shut my AP biology book and head down the stairs. Mom and dad are sitting on the couch. Once we're all down here, they start.

"Guys, tomorrow, your mom and I have to leave early for a . . . we just have to go to the Capitol for a few days." Dad tells us. Way to be vague.

"Why do you have to go to the Capitol?" I question.

"That doesn't matter. What matters is that we need you all to be on your best behavior. Effie's going to be keeping an eye on you all until we get back and I don't want you giving her any hassle. After school, you are to come straight home. Don't go out with your friends or anything. Just come straight home." Mom tells us.

"But why can't we know where you're going?" I persist. Really, I think we're all old enough to know what's going on. I am an adult.

"It's not important." Mom tells me. I am about to retaliate when mom interrupts me. "Ivy, please do not press this right now. I will answer all your questions when we get back; right now I just need you to behave."

"Don't treat me like I'm a five year old!" I exclaim. "I don't need to be told to 'behave'. I'm an adult. Technically, I can do whatever I want!"

"Ivy . . ." Dad warns.

"Ivy Sky Mellark, you have no right to speak to me like that! As long as you live under my roof, you are to abide by my rules. I'll treat you like an adult when you start acting like one. Now, go to your room." Mom tells me. I can't believe she's sending me to my room like I'm a little kid.

"You know, sometimes I really hate you." I say before rushing upstairs.

Peeta's POV

I watch as Phoenix, Lilac, and Finn all disperse awkwardly after their sister's little dispute. Katniss is rubbing her temples with her middle and pointer fingers.

"She'll be over it soon," I tell her, rubbing her back.

"Maybe we should have told them," She says.

"We chose not to tell them for a reason. It's better that they don't know right now." I reply.

"I know. I just worry about them." She tells me.

"I know, sweetheart. C'mon, we should get to bed. Tomorrow is a big, big day!" I say, attempting to make her laugh with my fake Capitol accent. It works and she chuckles as we head up to our bedroom.

The sun is barely up when we all meet at the train station. Effie is kissing Haymitch goodbye and telling him that, if he dies, she's going to sell all his cars. I smile, not knowing how Effie can stand letting Haymitch go through with this while she stays back here in District 12. There's no way I could let Katniss do this without me right by her side.

We board the train and take our seats. It's about an eight hour ride. It's a good thing are mission isn't happening until tomorrow. It'd be really hard to do this thing right while trying to get over some mild jetlag. Katniss leans into me and we both fall asleep for a few hours, knowing we'll need our strength tomorrow.

We wake up a few hours later. Everyone is in the dining car, eating and discussing our plans once more (in code of course). My heart is beating wildly, the thought of getting caught before we even have a chance to carry out our plans driving me absolutely insane.

We've spent the last week training and committing the plan to perfect memory. Even if we lost our map, there is no possible way Katniss, Gale, or I could get lost in the Capitol's underground sewage system.

Gale also spent the week getting us stocked up with some weapons we may need. He got Katniss a new and improved bow that she absolutely loves shooting, which is good since that's how we plan on taking Remington out. Gale and I are completely equipped with knives and stun guns, just in case something should go wrong.

Johanna was very gleeful when we got her a new axe just for the occasion. Something things never change. We got Nash equipped with some knives and guns very similar to the ones Gale and I have. Haymitch, well, as it turns out, he has an entire arsenal hidden in his house. He's pretty well set up to say the least.

We finally arrive in the Capitol and check into our hotel rooms. Katniss and I are sharing a room that is adjoined with the room Gale and Haymitch are sharing. Adjoined to Gale and Haymitch's room is Nash and Johanna's room. We spend the night going over and over our plans.

Then, early the next morning, we take a little walk around the area that Haymitch, Nash, and Johanna will be in charge of, making sure they know where every door is on the Capitol Justice Building. In less than twelve hours, all of downtown will be mad with celebration. I just hope that we have a reason to celebrate as well.

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**Dun dun dun . . . Will they be successful? Will they finally be done with Desmond Remington for good? How happy would you guys be to see that guy dead? Well, I'm gonna start on the next chapter! Please review and thanks for reading! You guys are the best readers ever!**_  
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	23. Chapter 23

**Hey, Everyone! Much awaited drama is in this chapters! Read on! **

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Chapter Twenty-Three

Katniss' POV

"Operation Rebellion is a go," Gale says to us over the walkie talkie. I wish Johanna, Nash, and Haymitch good luck and Peeta and I make our way to the spot where we will enter the sewage tunnels and meet up with Gale.

We make it to the back alley way and then climb down into the sewer. The first thing I notice is the smell. It totally ranks in here. We see Gale a few yards down and head over to him.

"You two ready for this?" He asks me, handing us each a flashlight. We both nod our affirmation and Gale starts down the sewer tunnel. I roll my eyes when I notice that I am in between Peeta and Gale. Of course they both feel the need to protect me; I only survived the Hunger Games twice.

After fifteen minutes of walking, Gale stops. We must be here. Gale contacts Haymitch via the walkie talkie and tells him that TFB should start their mission. We wait five minutes before heading up into the Capitol Justice Building.

Gale climbs up first, stealthily pushing up the manhole cover and looking for any sign of people. He must discover that the coast is clear because he gestures for us to follow him as he climbs through the manhole.

Once I am through the manhole, I realize that we must be in the basement of the Capitol Justice Building. We are surrounded by all sorts of maintenance machines. Gale hands us each a pair of night vision goggles before going over and switching off the main lights. At least we know they won't be able to see us coming.

We quietly and quickly head up the stairs in search of Remington. Gale knows exactly where the man is likely to be: His study. It's a really good thing Gale and I though Peeta how to tread quietly. I couldn't imagine how disastrous this would go if Peeta was clamoring on behind me.

It's a little bit harder to see rooms when you're using night vision goggles but I am glad for the extra layer of protection that the darkness gives us. So far, no one has given us any indication that they are aware of our presence.

Finally, Gale signals to us that we are in front of Remington's study. My heart is beating as fast as a hummingbird's wings with anxiety. I can't help but feel grateful that both Gale and Peeta are here with me. I can't think of anyone I would rather have with me at the moment.

Gale quickly and expertly kicks the door open and we rush in. Gale shuts the door behind us and we scan the room. There is no sign of Remington. We all glance at each other in confusion.

"Did you really think I wasn't expecting this?" Remington's icy voice asks as a fire is illuminated in the fire place. He is standing behind us, blocking our only exit. "Honestly, it saddens me that you thought so little of my intelligence." He says. We all remain silent, too stunned at this unperceived change in events.

"I'd like to tell you three a story," He tells us as he reaches behind his back to lock the door to his study. "It all started about thirty-four years ago, the year of the last Hunger Games. I'm sure you all remember it well.

"Back then, I was just a young Capitol boy, barely sixteen. I remember watching my mother cry hysterically when she got the new. They had put my beloved uncle into jail; my beloved Uncle Cornelius." Desmond says. I have to stifle a gasp. Desmond Remington is the nephew of President Cornelius Snow. I did not see that one coming.

"My mother soon died of some disease the doctors knew no cure for. After she died, I went and visited my uncle in prison. I visited him almost every single day for ten long years. He shared with me hatred, burning hatred. It was for a girl; no, a young woman. A particular young woman who had made a mockery of his beloved Games; she had embarrassed him in front of all of Panem. Her name was Katniss Everdeen.

"After my uncle died in prison, twenty-three years ago, I started planning my revenge. My uncle was a fine man who deserved revenge. So, I planned. I planned for six years before I could actually start acting on my plans. You see, that's why I so badly wanted a spot on the Council. How ironic it would be when Katniss Everdeen's death came from someone who was a part of the new government she worked so hard to create.

"I must say, I found that things were slightly more complicated when I learned that Gale Hawthorne was on the Council. But, nevertheless, I didn't let that stop my plans. I started gaining the trust and favor of the both the citizens and my fellow council members. Everything was playing out as it was planned.

"That is, until you three showed up here tonight. Oh, but I knew how to react. I knew what I would do. It's been a part of my plan all along." Desmond finishes. My eyes are on him but I manage to steal a sly glance over to Gale, who is moving closer to the fire. Then, in a quick flash of movement, Gale throws fiery embers at Remington. The embers hit his eyes and he is momentarily blinded. All three of us rush out the door with unmatchable speed, not even bothering to unlock it. Gale just knocks the thing off its hinges.

We rush down the hallway but it isn't long before Remington is hot on our heels, some sort of weapon in his hands. I turn and shoot several arrows, much to Peeta and Gale's dismay. I am shocked when all my arrows hit home but Remington doesn't even flinch.

"Armor, Miss Everdeen, it's a wonderful little invention." Remington cackles at me. I swear under my breath and continue down the hall.

I hear Gale swear as we come to the end of the hall. There is nowhere for us to go now. We must face Remington once and for all. We all turn to him, our weapons at the ready. Remington stops and just stares at us.

"When I was watching you in the Games, Miss Everdeen, I didn't think you had any chance in winning. You were just another poor child from the Seam of District 12. You didn't have a very good mentor or escort.

"Honestly, I didn't think you deserved to win. The star crossed lovers from District 12 ploy is the old reason you won. People took pity on you and your made up story. You cheated. And then my uncle had to pay because you made him look evil. You made the Capitol look evil! And then the citizens' had to pay for . . . for your rebellion! My wife died because of you! She died because the Capitol was so poor it couldn't afford simple medicines that would have saved her life. You, Katniss Everdeen, are a murderer!" He shouts at me. I am frozen by his words. It's not until I am hit that I realize he has fired his weapon at me. My hand goes to the wound in my shoulder. A single dart is embedded in my skin. The world around me starts to spin. I grab at Peeta to keep my balance but he seems to be in the same situation I am. Together, we fall to the plush, red carpeting that covers the floors of the Capitol Justice Building. The last thing I see is Gale furiously yelling into the walkie talkie. Then, all I see is darkness.

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**Whew . . . some pretty . . . heavy stuff in there. What'd you guys think of Remington's back story? That's why, in No One Said It Would Be Easy, it looked like I got Pres. Snow's death wrong. Nope, that was done on purpose (its in chapter one of that story if you're wondering what I'm talking about). Well, I would love some reviews on this! Thanks for reading!**


	24. Chapter 24

**H****ey, Everyone! I know how freaked out you all are about reading this chapter so I won't bore you with my ramblings. Please, Read on!**

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Chapter Twenty-Four

Alexander Abernathy's POV

_*Twenty Hours later in District 12*_

"Can you believe all the homework that Mr. Z gave us today?" I ask Ivy as we walk home from school together. Blake had baseball practice, so Ivy and I finally got a bit of time alone together. It's ridiculous how much I miss the time when it was just me and her.

I glance from Ivy to my house and notice that the windows are broken. Ivy and I both run the last few yards to my house in order to figure out what has happened. It's not just a few windows that are broken, they all are, and the doors are all kicked in. Inside, the house is a complete disaster. The coffee table is broken in two and lamps are smashed on the ground. What happened here?

"Alex, there's a not." Ivy tells me, pointing to a note that is stuck to the kicked in back door. I run over and grab it. My hands shaking, I read the note.

_Because of the rebellious actions of your family, peacekeepers were ordered to invade your home. Your loved one was kidnapped and will be held in prison as a punishment for such actions. Panem will not stand for such rebellious activities. – Councilmen Desmond Remington_

"What is this supposed to mean?" I ask Ivy, handing her the note. She quickly reads in before answering.

"I have no idea." Ivy tells me. "Your dad is in the Capitol with my parents, Aunt Johanna, Uncle Nash, and Uncle Gale."

"Mom," I whisper before sprinting upstairs. She told me this morning that she was taking the day off from the bakery to catch up on some finances stuff. Please, please let her be upstairs.

I tear through the upstairs of the house. I rip open doors that have already been kicked in. I tear through rooms, searching every crevice I can for my mother. No. They couldn't have taken her. Why would they take her? She's never done anything against the government.

"Alex, Alex, you need to calm down." Ivy tells me, grabbing onto my arm.

"Why? Why would they take her? It's not like . . . like she's some kind of criminal. She's a mother." I shout, my rage starting to subside. I can feel the tears behind my eyes. My throat is tight.

"I don't know." Ivy answers me. "But I promise you that we will get her back home safe and sound. The Capitol doesn't know who they're messing with."

"This is gonna kill my dad," I whisper, my tears finally escaping from my eyes. Dad told me about what happened to mom during the Rebellion, everything she had to endure. He told me that when he found her in a jail cell in the Capitol, that it had broken his heart. He never wanted to see her in that condition ever again. And now it was happening again.

Ivy is about to say something when the shrill ring of the telephone cuts her off. She goes to answer it, noticing that I am not currently in the position to talk to anyone. Her conversation with whoever is on the other line is short but, by the end, she is frowning about something.

"Who was that?" I ask her.

"It was your dad. He's at the hospital. He wants us to go there." Ivy tells me. I take a deep breath before Ivy and I head off. On our way to the hospital, we grab Phoenix, Finn, Lilac, Liam, and Ash. The entire ride there, my mind is going wild with why my dad possibly wants us to meet him at the hospital.

We enter the hospital through the emergency room doors. Dad is waiting inside, seated in the waiting room. The second he notices us, he rushes over and pulls me into a hug. I hug him back, trying with great difficultly to hold back my tears. How I'm going to tell him about mom, I have no idea.

"Where's your mom?" He asks me, noticing that she is not with us. I swallow hard. This is going to be one of the hardest things I will ever have to do.

"Dad . . . ." I let out a loud sigh before handing him the note that I found in the house. He reads it and tears are running down his cheeks as he hands it back to me. He takes a deep, shaky breath and rubs his hands over his face.

"Um . . . we have to go upstairs." He tells us and we follow him up a few floors. He leads us to a specific room but, before we can go in, he stops us. He looks directly at the Mellark kids.

"Your parents don't want you to know this but, I think, considering the circumstances, you need to know about it. Our trip to the Capitol was an assassination mission. We were trying to assassinate Desmond Remington but we failed. Your parents were both hit with darts that caused them to be paralyzed and they are both in comas. The doctors don't know how to bring them out of the comas. We all believe that the antidote is somewhere in Remington's possession." Dad informs us all. My mind is literally spinning. How can all of this be happening?

Dad leads us all into Aunt Katniss and Uncle Peeta's hospital room. Aunt Johanna, Uncle Nash, and Uncle Gale are all inside. Once they see us, they all rush to their kids. I don't think I've ever seen Liam and Ash so happy to see their parents. Ivy, Phoenix, Lilac, and Finn all go to their parents' bedsides. Aunt Katniss and Uncle Peeta are both on breathing machines and are lying motionless in their hospital beds.

Dad squeezes my shoulder and pulls me to him. I can't help but really, really wish that mom was here right now. Just her presence alone would have been calming. Dad's eyes are red and his cheeks are tear-stained. I can't even imagine what he's going through. Mom being kidnapped and imprisoned in the Capitol, for the second time, must be tearing him apart.

"We have to do something," Ivy says, keeping her voice soft.

"Like what?" Phoenix asks.

"We should go to the Capitol. We'll kill Remington, get the antidote, and free Effie. It's the only solution." Ivy responds.

"What do you mean 'we'?" Liam asks, taken aback by Ivy's words.

"Us, all of us," She says. "We have to. Who else is going to?"

"Ivy, that's not a good idea." Gale tells her.

"It's a great idea," I defend her. "She's right. Who else is going to do this? It's our family. We need to do this, for them." I say, gesturing to Katniss and Peeta, "And my mom."

"We're just kids. How are we supposed to defeat the most powerful man in Panem?" Phoenix asks.

"We train," I tell him. "We train to fight, to kill."

"Who's going to train us?" Lilac asks.

"My dad, Uncle Gale, Aunt Johanna," I say, looking to each of the adults as I say their names. They all look a little afraid but they nod their agreement anyway.

"Ivy, are you sure about this?" My dad asks her.

"Completely," She tells him, her eyes set as strong as her heart.

* * *

**So, let's recap: Remington is President Snow's nephew and he has some beef with Katniss, Katniss and Peeta are in comas and the doctors can't figure out how to get them out of it, Effie's been kidnapped and imprisoned by the Capitol AGAIN, Haymitch is distraught (really, who wouldn't be), and it looks as the kids will be taking over the next Rebellion. Whew! Kind of a lot for two chapters. Please review and thanks for reading! **


	25. Chapter 25

**Hey, Everyone! Here's another chapter! Things are certainly getting interesting! Well, don't just sit there, Read on!**

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Chapter Twenty-Five

Finn Mellark's POV

I groaned as my alarm went off. Today is our first day of training and we all have to be up and ready by five a.m. Why we have to start so early is beyond me. I pull myself out of bed and rub my eyes. It took me forever to fall asleep last night. I really didn't want to leave mom and dad's room last night. I just couldn't believe what had happened. It all just seemed so . . . so surreal.

Seeing mom in that hospital bed with tubes going in and out of her, well, it had hit me hard. Mom and I have always had a special relationship. She's my biggest fan when I'm out on the court or the field. She's always supportive and encouraging. I just couldn't believe that the strongest woman in my life had been brought down. Well, that just wasn't going to fly with me. I would do whatever I had to do to show Remington just who he was messing with.

We all meet in the meadow, the sun rising behind us. Grandpa Haymitch, Uncle Gale, and Aunt Johanna have set up stations and obstacles for us. I can already tell that this training is going to hurt even more tomorrow.

Haymitch, Johanna, and Gale explain to us each of the stations and obstacles. Today, we're aiming to discover everyone's specialties. Then, for the rest of the training, we'll be focusing on our specialties and our strategies. This is going to be a long two weeks.

The first station I am assigned to is hand to hand combat, run by Grandpa Haymitch. Honestly, I really don't want to hurt him or anything. I know he's getting up there in age and he's not as strong as he used to be.

He motions for me to come at him so I lunge for him, attempting to kick him in the knee. He grabs my foot midair. He then uses my own leg to flip me over and pin me hard against the ground. Alright, so grandpa's got some game.

He teaches me a few moves. Apparently I have some serious potential at hand to hand combat. He sets me up with Alex and Blake to spar for a while. We were all really surprised when Blake wanted in on the training. He said that he viewed us as his family and that he wanted to help us in any way he could. As it turned out, Blake had some serious knowledge out hand to hand combat and poisons and potions. Maybe he really could be an asset to our mission.

As we go through our stations, I notice that Ivy has a serious knack for archery. I mean, of course she does; our mother is the great Katniss Everdeen after all. It's kind of amazing how good she is at it though. I know for a fact she's never shot a bow before and the second she picks one up, she's a complete master.

Phoenix, according to Uncle Gale, has a serious gift for strategizing. It's like he can just fit all the pieces of our mission together in no time. He just focuses and nothing else in the world matters to him. I guess it could be considered another form of artwork.

Lilac, sweet, dainty, girly girl Lilac, is the best knife thrower I've ever seen. Her form is perfect and her aim couldn't be any better. Even Aunt Johanna is impressed with her skills. It's crazy really. Who would've thought that Lilac Mellark could throw knives like a pro?

Liam and Ash are both pretty good in the stealth department and they've been spending all of the training time with Uncle Gale, learning about explosives. I guess explosives are a pretty big part of our strategy for our mission.

"Alright, what we're going to do this time is we're going to line every entrance to the Capitol Justice Building with explosives. No one can go in and no one can go out. But, before we do that, we're going to create a diversion. We're going to make sure that every peacekeeper in the Capitol is occupied when we're ready to pull Remington's plug.

"Our diversion is going to be in Capitol Square, at the Hunger Games memorial. Ash and Liam, after you've lined every entrance of the Capitol Justice Building with explosives, you'll make your way to the Square. There, you will set some explosives to go off at intervals, one after another. There will be dozens of these explosions. Make sure that no one will be able to figure out any pattern.

"Phoenix and I will be keeping in touch with everyone using radios. We'll give you instructions and help if you need it. We'll also be hacking into the cameras in the Capitol Justice Building, the surrounding area, and the Square. We'll be keeping tabs on you all and, if we can, informing you if there are any threats to your safety.

"Once the diversion is well under way, Task Force Zeta will move in. Task Force Zeta consists of Johanna, Nash, Lilac, and Finn. Your job is to take on anyone that's going to stand in the next force's way.

"Task Force Omega, you have the most important job. Ivy, Alex, Blake, and Haymitch, you are Task Force Omega and your job is to find Remington and kill him. I don't care who does it or how you do it but I want him dead. That's the whole object of this mission. He needs to be out of the way. He's been destroying everything that we all worked so hard for and he's been doing it for too long. He needs to be stopped.

"I want you all to study this strategy and these maps of the Capitol." Uncle Gale tells us. "I want you to memorize it all, every single thing. I want you to be dreaming of this when you sleep at night. There is absolutely no room for error in this mission. This is our last resort."

My heart is pounding furiously. The amount of pressure that this all is has finally hit me. If we screw up, Panem is royally screwed. No. We can't let this monster win. We're fighters. We're heroes. We're rebels.

Ivy Mellark's POV

_*Two Weeks Later*_

I grasp Blake's hand as Grandpa Haymitch drives us towards the Capitol. We decided to take our own vehicles for this trip. The first car, Grandpa Haymitch's Hummer, had me, Blake, Phoenix, Alex, Lilac, and Finn. Behind us, in Uncle Gale's Range Rover, was Uncle Gale, Aunt Johanna, Uncle Nash, Ash, and Liam. In both cars we had various amounts of our equipment. It was kind of nerve wracking to have explosives in the same car as you.

I couldn't stop from thinking about how important this was. The pressure was really on us. Whether they knew it or not, all of Panem was relying on us for their safety. If we messed up, even just a little bit, everything my parents and all the Rebels had worked and sacrificed for was going to be destroyed.

A few years ago, mom had told me about her sister, Primrose. Apparently she had been killed trying to save people during the rebellion. She had been working as a medic, trying to save people that were dying. She had only been about twelve years old and she had died for Panem. She had sacrificed herself for the greater good. She was a hero. I really hoped I would be able to make my Aunt Primrose proud during this mission.

I was eternally grateful that I was surrounded with people I completely trusted. I don't think I could have put together a better team myself. We all trusted each other and we were all incredibly gifted. In our group, we have a huge range of weaponry and skills; from combat to explosives to knives to strategy. There was no way we could be better prepared.

I sigh as we cross into the Capitol, the sun rising in front of us. It looked like it was going to be a beautiful day. _I hope we can do this._

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**Is anyone else biting their nails right now? I know I am! How things will turn out . . . well I just don't know! I guess we'll have to see how our heroes do in the upcoming chapters! Thanks for reading and don't forget to review!**


	26. Chapter 26

**Hey, Everyone! I'm sure you are all very very excited to see how things are going to turn out in these next few chapters, I know I am! But, first things first, I totally messed up Snow's name in my other chapter. It's Coriolanus not Cornelius, sorry about that. Well, without further ado, Read on!**

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Chapter Twenty-Six

Liam's POV

We wait until nightfall before starting our mission. My dad said it would be easier for all of us to stealthily maneuver at night, especially with the night vision goggles he gave us all. I, for one, am incredibly nervous about our part of the mission. We have to make sure our distraction is big enough that it would require most – if not all – of the Peacekeepers to tend to it.

"Alright guys, this is it." Dad says. "Everyone go to your positions." He tells us. We are currently hidden in an alleyway, all sitting behind the massive SUVs we used to get here. We all quickly grab our bags of equipment from the SUVs and head over to all our positions.

Honestly, even though he kissed my girlfriend, I'm glad I have Ash as my partner for this mission. We've been best friends since we were babies and over the last years, he's always had my back. A few times, he's jumped into a fight to try and save my butt and then we both ended up walking home with bloody noses. I know that no matter what's going to happen, he's got my back.

We scan the Capitol Square for a good place to set up. We spot a small cluster of bushes and trees at the corner of a park. We trot over there and hop into the midst of the trees and bushes before we start setting up.

It truly is nerve wracking carrying thirty pounds of explosives on your back as your run through the busiest city in all of Panem. Ash and I carefully set up our supplies of explosives, careful not to screw up and blow ourselves up. That would not be good, for us or the mission.

We are just deciding where we are going to launch the explosives when a large clap of thunder booms through the sky. This cannot mean what I think it means. . . As if answering my unspoken questions, dark, ominous clouds roll in and release large drops of rain onto us. Well, this is great.

"Now what the hell are we supposed to do?" Ash asks me, shouting over the sound of the rain and the thunder. I shake my head in response, having absolutely no idea how we are going to great a diversion now. There is no way that our explosives will detonate now that they're all wet.

I am about to sigh in defeat a bolt of lightning shoots through the sky; lightning! That's it! If we could somehow get the lightning to hit a tree or two, that would start one heck of a fire!

"Ash, I know what we need to do!" I tell him. I then proceed to inform him of my plans. He thinks it is genius and he even thinks he knows how we could attract the lightning. In less than five minutes after the rain has started, we are well on our way to creating a new plan. We are almost done when my radio goes off.

"Son, it's time for the diversion." My dad tells me over the radio.

"Copy that," I tell him as I finish fastening our makeshift lightning rod. I am about to climb up the tree and connect the rod to the top of it when Ash stops me.

"What?" I ask him over the rain.

"Let me do it." He tells me. "She'll never forgive me if I let something happen to you." Ash tells me. I am a little shocked. He's willing to go up there and risk his life because Lilac would be devastated if something bad happened to me. I nod at him, not trusting my voice to reach over the deafening noise.

I watch as Ash scurries up the trunk of the tree. It must be hard to climb up it when it's slick from the rain. Already, we are both soaked through our clothes. My body is chilled right down to its core. I am also shaking a bit, but whether that's from the cold or my own anxiety, I don't know.

Ash jumps down from the tree just in time to miss a huge bolt of lightning. Before we know it, the tree is in flames. We grab our bags and scatter before the flames catch onto the bushes surrounding us.

We run over to a group of trees that are in a line, as if they were in an orchard. Ash scurries up the tree and fastens our second lightning rod to the top. Within minutes, the tree is immersed in fire and the flames are already starting to catch onto the others down the line of trees. Ash comes down, holding his right hand.

"Dude, are you okay?" I ask him.

"I'm fine," He tells me. I don't believe him. Regardless, I notice that our actions have, indeed, brought a whole ton of Peacekeepers into the Square. Ash gives me a high five, using his left hand, and then we high tail it in search of another hiding place.

Lilac Mellark's POV

_*Meanwhile, at the Capitol Justice Building*_

Ash and Liam must have been successful because a whole bunch of Peacekeepers are pouring out of the Justice Building and in the direction of the Capitol Square. We wait ten minutes after watching the last Peacekeeper leave before we go into the building. Uncle Gale managed to kill the electricity for us so we can sneak about using our night vision goggles.

It's so quiet I can hear Finn breath beside me. This silence is actually pretty freaky. My hand is always on the hilt of one of my knives, ready to be thrown in the blink of an eye.

"Stop," A voice behind us commands. I audibly swallow before we all turn around to face our interrupter. The lights in the building flicker back on and I can't help but feel like we're screwed. Three more Peacekeepers appear behind the original one that stopped us.

I look over to my brother and then to my Aunt Johanna and Uncle Nash. It's our job to deal with anyone who gets in the way of our mission's goal. We all curtly nod at the same time before jumping the Peacekeepers.

At first, they are surprised. But, being Peacekeepers, they regroup quickly. Before I know it, we are in a full on battle, four against four. Aunt Johanna is like a wild beast with that axe in her hands. Finn is doing an awesome job with just his bare fists, beating the crap out of one of the Peacekeepers. Uncle Nash is doing a pretty good job with his axe, too. I guess him and Aunt Johanna are really a match made in heaven.

Despite being a total nervous wreck, my knife throwing is perfection. Even when forced into close up battle with one of the Peacekeepers, who is probably seven feet tall, I manage to hold my own, sinking my knife right into his throat.

In the corner of my eye, I see one of the Peacekeepers throw my Uncle Nash to the ground. He has his sword poised to kill when I instinctively throw the knife in my hand at him. My knife sinks into the back of his neck, probably severing his spinal cord. His lifeless body slumps to the floor and I go over to help Uncle Nash up.

"Thanks, kiddo," He tells me before picking up the Peacekeepers sword and getting back to work. More Peacekeepers have started flooding in and I can tell that it's going to be a long night.

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**Some pretty fun action! Whoo! Now, before you say anything, the next chapter will be with Ivy, Blake, Alex, and Haymitch. And it will be up soon! Also, I really do hate to tell you all this, but this story is getting pretty close to it's end. Once we get done with all this action-drama stuff, well, then we only have about three chapters left . . . I know, I know, it went by way too fast. I've been toying with the idea of continuing this mini-series it seems that I've created but I wanna know what you think (and what you would like to see if I was to continue with these characters). Let me know what you think in a review and thanks a bajillion for reading!**


	27. Chapter 27

**Hey, Everyone! I'm not going to p****ut off your reading with my ramblings so . . . Read on!**

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Chapter Twenty-Seven

Ivy Mellark's POV

Blake, Alex, Haymitch, and I run down the hallways. We gave up our stealth tactic after the lights came back on. Now, we were just going to go for overpowering Remington. It's taking us forever to find him since we have to storm into every room, ready for a fight.

We know he's in here. He has to be. There's no way he would've left the Capitol Justice Building. It is the most highly equipped, security-wise, building in all of Panem. He's here. I know he is. We'll find him . . . eventually.

After about half an hour, we end up on the below ground levels of the Capitol Justice Building. So much adrenaline is coursing through my body that I swear that if I was standing still, I would literally be vibrating right now. But, I feel oddly comforted by the fact that I'm with both Blake and Alex.

Blake, being my boyfriend and loving me as much as I love him, he would never let anything bad happen to me. Alex, I am one hundred percent positive, would rather get hurt than see me hurt. Not that I ever want to see either of them hurt or anything like that.

We are all running down a white walled corridor when two Peacekeepers appear out of seemingly nowhere. I think I feel my heart stop when they both pull out weapons. They're standing right in front of the stairs that we have to go down to continue our search. Remington must be down there. That's why these Peacekeepers are here.

Before I know what's happening, Grandpa Haymitch is throwing himself into battle with the Peacekeepers. He manages to move them away from the door we have to do through.

"Go!" He shouts at us. I wince inwardly as he gets kicked hard in the ribs. Alex must open his mouth to protest because Haymitch repeats his request. "Just go! I'll be fine. Go finish the mission!" He yells at us as he kicks on of the peacekeepers in the groin.

Alex doesn't budge. Of course he doesn't want to leave his dad. His mom has already been imprisoned somewhere in the Capitol. I couldn't imagine what he's feeling. At least I know where my parents are and I know that they are still alive.

I grab onto his arm and tug it. He turns to face me and I see the fear in his eyes. I don't think I've ever seen him so afraid of anything. He's actually a pretty brave guy. But now . . . now he's a total wreck. I tug on his arm again and this time he nods at me before we all make our way down the stairs, the sounds of Haymitch's fight following us the whole way.

The room the stairway leads us into is illuminated with fluorescent lights that are above our heads. They add a soft humming into the silence of the room. Really, the whole scene is totally creepy.

"He's gotta be here somewhere, guys. That's why the Peacekeepers were guarding it." I tell the boys. We all split up to search the room for any secret doorways. Remington is a smart guy. He'd for sure know how to hide expertly, especially if he was hiding from his assassins. I am inspecting a tiny crack in the concrete floor when Blake calls Alex and me over.

"Found it," He tells us as he pushes a part of the wall in. We all cautiously poke our heads into the tunnel that was behind the secret door.

"Well, let's go," Blake says, starting down the tunnel. Alex and I follow him in. My heart is pounding so hard I am surprised I can't hear it echoing against the concrete walls. The tunnel is dark and damp and it is hard to breathe inside of it. The tunnel is so narrow that the walls rub against my skin and, I am sure, my arms are going to be all scratched up.

Blake is in front of me and I am clutching to the back his shirt. I am just so glad that he is here with me. I could not be doing this without him here. He really does give me more courage. I am also glad that Alex is here with me, too. I couldn't imagine not having him here. He's been my best friend for fourteen years. I trust him with every fiber of my being. There are no other two people I'd ever want here with me.

We turn with the curve of the secret passage way, the walls scratching up my skin even more. I can just make out a very faint, green-ish glow. That must be the end of the tunnel. How ironic, a light at the end of the tunnel.

After another agonizing few minutes, we finally make to the end of the tunnel. The room we enter has a metallic floor and the lights above us are a freaky green color. Yeah, I do not like this place so far.

I take more of the room in. There is a spiral staircase that goes upward. Where it leads? I have no idea and I kind of hope we don't have to find out. Blake comes over to me and pulls me protectively to his side.

"Where is he?" I ask him, making sure to keep my voice down, just in case he's really in here somewhere.

"I don't know," He responds, keeping his voice low like mine. Alex comes to stand next to me. He is vigilantly looking around the room. I reach out and grasp his hand with mine. He squeezes on tightly to my hand and I squeeze back.

"I'm impressed," A voice booms into the room. We all look around quickly, searching for the source of the voice. He has to be in here, somewhere.

"I didn't think you would have the courage to face me after what I did to your parents," Remington says as he descends down the metallic, spiral staircase. His jet black hair, now beginning to streak with grey, is slicked back. He is wearing an all-black suit, a single, white rose in his chest pocket. His heels making a clicking sound against the metal of the stairs.

He reaches the floor and begins walking over to us. I seem to be frozen in place, whether from fear or surprise, I couldn't tell you. Desmond Remington's lips quirk up into an evil smile as he crosses the space between us.

His unreal, emerald green eyes are trained on me. He knows. He knows I am Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark's daughter. My eyes meet his green ones, his unreal, emerald green eyes; very familiar, unreal, emerald green eyes. No. It can't be. It's not possible. It has to just be a crazy coincidence. He . . . they . . . it just can't be. It's impossible.

I look over at Blake. I look at his sleek black hair, soft to the touch and always perfectly styled. I look at his strong facial features. He has a little bit of stubble on his cheeks. He didn't have time to shave the morning we left District 12. I can just barely see the green iris of his eyeball. His unreal, deep green eyes that I've always loved, since the moment I laid eyes on his my junior year of high school.

What I'm thinking is not possible. No. Blake is . . . he's the man I love. There's no way it's possible. This is just a big . . . a big coincidence. That's the only explanation. It's . . . logical. It really could just be a coincidence.

"You've done well, my son." Desmond Remington says as he stops directly in front of me, his unreal, emerald green eyes still locked with mine.

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***GASP* Now, I know some of you guessed it and others of your were still convinced Blake was cheating on Ivy. I was actually happy that you guys thought he was cheating. I kind of wanted this to be one of those "What the F*** just happened?" moments. :D Now, I'm going to be honest, I could finish this fanfiction either very late tonight (or very early this morning) or sometime tomorrow. Depends on how distracted/tired I get over the next few hours. So, I'm going to start drinking caffeinated beverages and see what happens. But, you will be happy, because GUESS WHAT! _WHAT? _I THOUGHT OF MY PLOTLINE FOR THE NEXT STORY! So you will all get to see our favorite characters at least once more (probably longer than that). This makes me all excited! But, I am starting to realize that I'm never going to get to that long list of Hayffie fanfic stories I have . . . Oh well! Please review and thanks a for reading!**


	28. Chapter 28

**Hey, Everyone! I'm sure a few of you are still reeling from my last cliffhanger so I'm just gonna go right to the story! Read on!**

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Chapter Twenty-Eight 

Alexander Abernathy's POV

What. The. Hell. How . . . how the hell is this even possible? Well, I know how it's possible but . . . really? I guess, now that I think about it, it does kind of make sense.

I look over to Ivy, she is in complete shock. Her mouth is wide open and she's just staring at Remington. She's so shocked she doesn't notice when Blake lunges at her with a knife. I use my left arm to push her out of the way and step in front of her before Blake can hurt her. There's no way in hell I am letting this asshole hurt the love of my life.

"Trying to be a hero are we now, Nerd?" He asks me, smirking at me. "You know, you've been the most annoying person I've encounter while trapped in that hellhole of a District." He tells me. I don't respond. I just grab one of the knives from my belt. "Now this, this should be interesting." Blake says, right before he lunges at me with his knife. I use my knife to redirect his. The sound of blade scraping blade echoes through the room.

The sound seems to pull Ivy from whatever daze she was in. She quickly joins the fight, grabbing her bow and pointing an arrow at Remington. Blake lunges for me again and I deflect it. I know that this won't go like this for much longer.

Ivy and I back up to each other, like we've been fighting bad guys together forever. I am staring right into Blake's eyes. I've hated him for almost a year. I've hated him so much. He's belittled me. He's made a mockery of me. He's publicly humiliated me. He's made my life a living hell. Well, now, he's going to wish he never crossed paths with Alexander Abernathy.

I attack him. But, I don't use my knife. No. I go to the way my father taught me how to fight. I give him a good roundhouse kick right to the jaw. I feel a sense of satisfaction when I hear a crunch from his jaw.

I glance behind me just for a Nano-second to check on Ivy. She and Desmond are fighting. Ivy isn't at the current position to use her bow and arrows. She has to be farther away in order for her aim to be good. I an idea forms in my head. If I can get Blake and Desmond far away enough from Ivy, she could shoot both of them and it'll be over. The mission will be successful.

I run at Blake and grab him off the ground by his shirt as I go. I slam him into the wall, much like I did when I broke up his make out session with Ivy. I push my arm into his neck, feeling satisfied when his face turns red and he starts struggling against my grip. Now, now I can actually kill him. I have been waiting too long for this day; way too long. I let up on my arm and the take him by his shirt and bang his whole body against the concrete wall a few times. His eyes roll back into his skull and I drop him to the ground; one down, one to go.

I look over and see Ivy struggling against Remington. He has her head in a head lock and a knife to her throat. I run across the room, my speed surprising me, and tackle him. We land on the ground, hard. I motion for Ivy to go up the spiral staircase so she can get a better shot at Remington.

Remington's fist collides hard with my face. I hear my nose crack from the blow and feel blood run down my chin. He comes in for another punch but I roll out the way and he smashes his hand on the concrete floor. This, well, it just really pisses him off.

He grabs my shirt and pulls me back towards him. His fists rain against my body. I bring my arms up to protect my face. His fist connects with my wrist and a shooting pain bolts up my arm. He must know that he's just broken that wrist because he then takes it and smashes it against the concrete floor. I can hear myself scream in pain at this. Remington just gives me an evil smirk.

I thrust my legs up and hit Remington right in the groin. While he is distracted by this pain, I hit him repeatedly in the stomach with my knees until he rolls off of me. Then I grab his throat with my good hand, having every intention of suffocating him. Remington has other plans and I feel a knife slash against my already bad arm. I hold in my screech of agony but I do end up letting go of him.

I am kneeling, holding my very injured arm in my good hand. Remington gets up and just stands in front of me. I look up at him. He is drenched in sweat and his previously neat hair is a complete mess. There is a long knife wound on his face. I assume that Ivy graced him with it. Remington then raises his leg and kicks me right in the head. Pain shoots through my entire skull and down my neck as I fall onto my back. My vision goes blurry and I have no idea of knowing where Remington is and what he plans on doing.

I feel something on my neck, pushing into my throat. From the feel of it, it must be Remington's foot. I squirm, futilely attempting to get him off of me. He pushes his foot harder into my neck. I try to swallow but I am unable. He pushes his foot even harder against my throat, successfully closing off my windpipe and making it impossible for me to breathe.

I can feel myself start to spasm as my body becomes desperate for oxygen. My face is hot and my chest is burning. I can feel myself starting to pass out. My body can't survive without oxygen. I'll be dead in about a minute, I speculate.

Then, all of sudden the pressure on my neck is released. I gasp and sputter for air, gulping in huge mouthfuls. Oxygen has never tasted as good as it does right now. Once I have mostly recovered from my near death experience, I look over to Remington. He is lying on the ground, an arrow lodged in his chest. I can't help but smile as I look up to where Ivy is standing on the spiral staircase.

She did it! We did it! The mission is successful. Desmond Remington is dead! Panem is safe. Now, we can find my mom and save her. Then we have to find the antidote for whatever poison Remington gave Ivy's parents.

I am grinning like an idiot, staring up at Ivy. She, too, is all smiles, very happy at our success. Then, I make a promise to myself. As soon as we get back to District 12, I am going to tell her exactly how I feel. I'm going to tell her how much I love her and how I've loved her since we were just in second grade. I don't think I can hide it anymore. Not after everything we've all just been through.

I am thinking of ways how to tell her when I feel a sharp pain in my back. I strangled sound barely escapes my lips before I fall to the ground. I reach around and feel at my back. There, lodged right into my side, is a knife with a blade that is at least five inches long.

I gasp for breath and an agonizing pain shoots through my body. The blade must have nicked my lung. This is . . . this is so not good.

"You didn't think you could get rid of me that fast, did ya, Nerd?" I hear Blake ask me. "I can take a few hits." He tells me as he kicks me in the back, shoving the knife even further into my lung. I can feel the blood rushing into my insides. Blake kicks at it again before he kneels down beside me.

"With you out of the way, there's not going to be anyone to keep her alive now. I'm going to kill the woman you love." He tells me viciously. He stands back up and gives me another kick when I try to get up. I can't let him . . . I can't let him hurt her. I try to push myself up but I'm too weak. I've lost too much blood and I'm not getting enough oxygen. I glance up and just barely get to see Ivy's face one last time before I am thrust into darkness.

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**I am sleeping with a knife tonight. I'm sure to wake up several times tonight to nightmares of my own fans killing me in malicious ways . . . Especially since this is my last chapter for the night . . . See, now you can't kill me! You'd never know what happens! :D I love loopholes! :D Be sure to review how much I pissed you off! Thanks for reading!**


	29. Chapter 29

**Hey, Everyone! So, I totally expected more death threats than I actually got last night. Oh well! Now, without further ado (because I know you're all dying to see what happens), Read on!  
**

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Chapter Twenty-Nine

Ivy Mellark's POV

"Alex!" I screech as I run towards him. I stop abruptly before I reach him and pull my bow into shooting position. In the blink of an eye, three arrows are flying at Blake. The first hits him in the abdomen, the second in the neck, and the last right in his left eye. His body crumples to the ground. There is no way he's getting back up this time.

I run over to Alex and kneel beside him. I check his pulse and breathe a sigh of relief when I feel it. It is not very strong but it's there. I gently turn him so he is on his back, making sure that the side with the knife in it is not on the ground. I can't help the tears that flow down my face as I cradle Alex's body on my knees. I run my fingers through his soft, curly, reddish-brown hair.

How could I have been so stupid! I should have noticed that there was something up with Blake, especially since I never met his family. I'm such an idiot! And now, now my best friend is paying for my stupidity.

I cradle the side of his face with my hand. I feel a strange feeling in my stomach. It . . . it feels like butterflies, the kind you get when . . . when you realize you love someone. More tears cascade down my cheeks.

Why couldn't I have realized this earlier? Why did it take me until now, when he's dying in my arms, to realize that I love him? I guess I've always loved him but I never wanted to admit that I loved him like this.

"I'm sorry," I whisper to him as my tears continue to fall. I hear voices and footsteps. I grab one of Alex's knives, ready to defend us both. But, then, I see Grandpa Haymitch and the rest of my family come through the secret tunnel. Haymitch notices Alex's condition first and sprints over to us.

"What happened?" He asks me as he kneels beside his dying son.

"Blake threw a knife at his back. I think it hit his lung," I answer him. I can see the tears form in Haymitch's eyes. He takes Alex into his arms, his own tears finally spilling over.

I don't know how long we sit there but the sound of sirens brings me back to reality. Uncle Gale and Phoenix come through the secret tunnel with a couple of paramedics. The paramedics load Alex onto a stretcher and rush him to the ambulance.

"Go with him," Haymitch urges me.

"Are you sure?" I ask him. Surely there is nothing more in the world he wants to do then be with his son.

"Yes," He answers. "I gotta go find Effie." I nod before rushing after the paramedics.

Haymitch's POV

I wipe the tears from my face. I need to find Effie. She has to be in here somewhere. I look around the room. It's very large but very plain. The walls are stone and the floor is some sort of metal. Then, I notice the spiral staircase.

I decide to go up it. I start towards it and can feel the rest of the group following me. We still need to find Effie and the antidote for the poison that put Katniss and Peeta into comas. I have a feeling that they'll both be in the same place.

At the top of the spiral staircase, there is a long corridor lined with white walls and bright fluorescent lights. It reminds me so much of the place where we found all the prisoners in the Capitol during the last rebellions and I can't suppress the shiver that moves through my body. I just hope that Effie is okay. I couldn't bare it if something bad had been done to her; not again.

As we move down the corridor, I notice that there are prison cells that line the walls. She's here. She is down this hallway! This thought spurs me on and, before I know it, I am literally sprinting down the hallway, making sure to look into every cell for my beloved wife. I reach the end and my mouth goes dry. She was supposed to be here!

"Where is she?" I yell, spinning around to face the rest of the group. They all look just as confused as I feel. "She's supposed to be here!" I shout, my fist colliding hard with the wall.

"Haymitch . . ." I hear a soft, feminine voice whisper.

"Effie? Effie, where are you?" I ask in a shout. So much adrenaline is coursing through my body. She's close. She's close!

"Here! The wall, Haymitch, the wall," She answers me. I spin around to the wall. She's in there! I knock on it and I can't help the chuckle I let out when she knocks back.

"I'm gonna get you out of there, Princess. I promise." I tell her, leaning my cheek against the cool, white wall.

"I know you will, Haymitch." She responds and I can just picture her leaning her cheek against the wall just as I am doing.

"I think I could be of assistance," Johanna tells me, swinging her axe.

"That's a perfect idea!" I exclaim. "Effie, I need you to back away from this wall as far as you can. Johanna is going to break it down with her axe." I tell Effie.

"Okay. Go ahead and start." She responds. I nod at Johanna and she swings her axe hard against the wall. It makes a huge crack in the wall. Nash passes me his axe and Johanna and I work to break down this wall. I am fueled simply by my desire to make sure my wife is safe. She has to be okay.

Finally, we break through the wall and I can see Effie. She is in the corner of a very, very small cell, her wrists bound in chains. I run to her and envelope her in my arms.

"Ef, I'm so, so, so sorry I let them take you again." I tell her, fresh tears falling down my cheeks.

"Shh, Haymitch, it's not your fault." She tells me. She tries to bring her hands up to brush away my tears but she can't.

"We gotta get you out of those chains," I tell her, looking around for anything that could get my wife's delicate wrists from those damned chains.

"Remington keeps the key around his neck," She tells me. I nod before turning to Gale, who is already on his way to retrieve the key from a lifeless Desmond Remington's body.

"Where's Alex?" Effie asks me and I can feel my heart break. Effie must see in my eyes what I am thinking because her own eyes start to water; "No . . ." She whispers, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Shh, the paramedics came and took him to the hospital. Ivy is with him. I promise, as soon as we get you out of these damned chains, I'll take you to him." I tell her, wiping away her tears. Effie nods and I once again pull her into my arms, her head resting on my chest.

Gale returns with the key and I quickly free Effie. As soon as she is free, she throws herself into my arms, sobbing into my shoulder. I just hold her as she cries, trying desperately to keep my own tears from falling.

"What did he do to you?" I ask her in a whisper. Effie just shakes her head, never lifting it from my shoulder, indicating she doesn't want to take about it. I nod and run my fingers through her hair.

"We need to find the antidote," I hear Gale say.

"I know where that is," Effie informs us before she turns back to her cell. She knocks on a few of the stones before she pushes one out of the wall and reaches into the one beside it. She returns with a small, glass flask containing a purple liquid.

"He told me about Katniss and Peeta and then told me that it was up to me to find it. Said that, if I didn't, they would both die," Effie tells us, wiping tears from her cheeks. Gale takes it and then we all head to the hospital the paramedics took Alex to. _Please, let my son be okay. _

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**Effie is safe! Whoo! Now, I promise the next chapter (okay, basically the rest of the story) will be IvyXAlex fluff. I know you've all been dying for it since like the beginning of this story. I promise you, I will not disappoint! Guys, I love these two as much as you do! Don't you think I want my own creations to finally express their love for each other? Cuz I do! So, review because reviews really spur my writing on and feel free to leave me a suggestion of two on what you guys wanna see between some of our characters! Thanks SO MUCH for reading! I really do love all my readers! You guys are the best!**_  
_


	30. Chapter 30

**H****ey, Everyone! In this chapter, Alex wakes up! Whoo! You didn't honestly think I was going to kill off did you? I love the guy too much to do that! Now, Read on!**

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Chapter Thirty

Ivy Mellark's POV

I sit in the hospital room, only the sound of Alex's heart monitor's steady beep assuring me that he is still alive. I came so close to losing him.

"Ivy," I hear Alex croak out, his voice groggy from the anesthesia.

"Alex!" I exclaim, tears of happiness cascading down my cheeks like a waterfall. His hand comes up to wipe the tears from my face.

"Don't cry. You're too pretty to look so sad." He tells me. This, for some odd reason, makes me chuckle.

"I'm not sad. I'm happy." I tell him, grasping his hand as it trails along my cheek.

"Ivy, I have to tell you something," He says to me. I nod for him to continue and he does. "I lied to you when I said I didn't have feelings for you. Ivy, the truth is that I've loved you since we were in second grade. I've just always been so afraid to tell you. I didn't want to lose you as a friend. I never thought someone as amazing as you could possibly love someone as plain as me. Ivy, I love you." Tears are falling down my cheeks like a waterfall by the time he finishes.

"Oh, Alex, honestly, I never thought about us being in a romantic relationship before. But, earlier, seeing you lying on that floor, unconscious and bleeding, well, it made me realize something. It made me realize how much I do love you. It made me realize that I don't ever want to lose you again. Alex, I love you, too." I tell him as I cup his face in my hands and pull his lips to mine. Our lips touch and I see fireworks. My heart is beating as fast as a hummingbird's wings and the butterflies in my stomach are going ballistic. This just feels so right, like my lips were always supposed to be against his. Alex deepens that kiss, sitting up a little and cupping my face with his strong, gentle hands. My fingers go to his soft, curly hair. I am about to pull Alex even closer to me when I hear someone clear their throat.

We pull apart and turn to see a smirking Haymitch and a very pleased looking Effie. Alex blushes and I can feel the heat rise to my own cheeks.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Haymitch asks as he takes a seat in one of the chairs in the room.

"It looks like these two finally came to their senses." Effie says as she sits down next to Haymitch.

"I hate to say it, bud, but, I told you so." Haymitch tells Alex, a smile playing on his face. Alex just chuckles, reaching out for my hand. I take his hand in mine and squeeze it, knowing that this is the smartest decision of my entire life.

Alexander Abernathy's POV

"Mom, are you okay?" I ask her, just now remembering that my mother had been kidnapped and imprisoned.

"I'm fine, sweetheart. He just wanted to try and throw you all of so that you wouldn't be able to defeat him." Mom tells me, moving to the chair that is on the other side of my bed.

"I'm glad you're okay. I was worried. Just the thought of something happening to the woman that took me in as her son. . ." I trail off.

"I know, sweetheart." Mom tells me, placing her hand atop mine. It feels amazing to finally know that all the members of my family are safe and sound.

The next morning, dad pulls some strings to get me out of the hospital. The doctors didn't want me going since I had just had major surgery but dad told them that I would be taken straight to the hospital in District 12. Really, that was the truth. We had to take the antidote to Aunt Katniss and Uncle Peeta.

The ride back to District 12 isn't nearly as bad as the drive there. It really helps that I am able to pull Ivy to my side and kiss the top of her head, just like my dad has always done to my mom. I've always wanted a relationship like theirs; they were best friends before they became romantically involved.

"What are you thinking about?" Ivy asks me. It is dark and almost everyone, except dad who is driving, is asleep. I am just staring out into the dark night.

"I just can't believe that you and I . . . well, what are we exactly?" I ask her. We both chuckle because neither of us has really thought about what we are now.

"I don't know . . . we really haven't been out on a date yet," Ivy says.

"You know, prom is going to be coming up in the next couple of weeks," I tell her.

"Alexander Abernathy, that is no way to ask a young woman to prom," My mom chastises me from the front seat. Ivy and I both laugh out loud. Of course my mom cares about whether or not I ask Ivy to the prom "properly".

"Ivy Mellark, would you go to prom with me?" I ask her, suppressing back my laughter.

"I would love to!" She accepts with a giggle. God, I love this woman. She kisses me lightly on the lips and I just feel like everything is world is going right. After our kiss, she lays her head on my shoulder and we both drift into a deep, much needed, sleep.

Ivy Mellark's POV

When I wake up, my head on Alex's shoulder, it is morning and we are just pulling into District 12. I shake my siblings and my boyfriend (I can't believe Alex is my boyfriend!) awake. We're all pretty exhausted from everything that happened yesterday but, at the same time, we're all kinda pumped to get the antidote to mom and dad. I just can't wait until they wake up.

We get to the hospital and rush up to the intensive care unit, which is where mom and dad have been for the last two weeks. I still can't believe that it's only been two weeks since all this started. It's ridiculous how much can happen in fourteen days.

Haymitch gave the doctors the flask with the antidote on it and, after they ran a few tests on it, they administered it into my parents' IVs. As I sat there, holding hands with Alex and watching the doctors do their jobs, I thought of what I would like to do with my life.

"Alex . . ." I say, turning to face him.

"What's up?" He asks me.

"I think I know what I want to be when I grow up," I tell him, inwardly chuckling at the old cliché.

"That's great. What is it?" He asks me with a big grin on his face.

"I think I would like to be a doctor," I tell him, a grin forming on my face as I say that words.

"Ivy, that's great! I mean, that's really incredible!" Alex exclaims as he gives me a hug.

"Thanks," I reply. "I know it's a lot of school but I just think that it would be totally worth it." I tell him. "Have you thought about what you want to do?" I ask him.

"I figured I'd get a Ph.D. in a science field. Still not sure which one yet," He tells me. "I guess I'll have to find that one thing that just pulls me in and totally blows my mind."

"What's mind blowing?" I hear my mom's voice, still groggy, ask.

"Mom!" I exclaim, rushing over to hug her. "I can't believe you're awake! I missed you so much! So much has happened!"

"Hey now, where's my loving?" Dad asks me and I start to laugh and cry at the same time as I run over to him.

"Daddy, I missed you so much. I love you so much." I tell him as I hug him.

"I love you, too, Ivy." He tells me as we break apart. Phoenix, Lilac, and Finn are all in the process of hugging mom and dad, too. As I take in the scene before me, my family hugging and laughing, and my boyfriend sitting there, smiling at me like a complete idiot, I can't help but think that everything is finally back as it should be.

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**Awwwww! Recap! Desmond Remington and his son, Blake, are dead (WHOO!), Effie is safe (WHOO!) Alex and Ivy finally kissed! and now they're going to Prom together! (WHOO!) and Katniss and Peeta are both awake! (WHOOOOOOO!). Now, I do believe that Prom is up next! Alex and Ivy romance will be abundant! Tell me some things you'd like to see happen at Prom in a review and thanks for reading!**


	31. Chapter 31

**Hey, Everyone! Are you guys as happy as I am that Alex and Ivy are finally together? I really do love writing about these two together! It totally makes me wish I had this machine that could transform the guy you love from your writing (Alex) and make him reality so he could be your boyfriend! *Sigh* Sometimes, being single sucks a bit. **

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Chapter Thirty-One

Alexander Abernathy's POV

_*Three Weeks Later*_

It has been three weeks since we all returned from our mission and, well, it's been, basically, the same as when we left. I mean, there were some questions from people in the town that were kind of awkward to answer but, for the most part, people weren't making that big of a deal about it.

Tomorrow night is prom and I am beyond nervous. Thank God my mom is totally willing to make sure I don't end up looking like an idiot in front of the woman of my dreams. Tonight, though, was the annual school talent show. There would be musical performances, comedy acts, all sorts of things. It was kind of a big deal since Ash was going to be singing a song tonight.

Things between Ivy and me have been absolutely wonderful. Except for when I had to tell Uncle Peeta. Now, that was a conversation I don't ever want to have again. Now, my Uncle Peeta is not a violent person but he flat out threatened to kill me with his bare hands if I ever hurt his daughter. It's a good thing I already love her.

Ivy and I have gone out a few dates. Man, I was super nervous on our first actual date. I had arranged for my mom and Lilac to help me set up a spot in the meadow. They had decorated it with paper lanterns and they had captures some fireflies in jars. Then, I packed a picnic and took Ivy over. We had eaten our picnic dinner together, the stars and fireflies lighting up all around us. Then, Ivy and I had released all the fireflies together. Once our date was over, I had kissed Ivy goodnight on her front porch. It had truly been perfect.

Since then, we've done a variety of things. We spent one day at the zoo that is in the northern part of the District. Another night we went out for dinner and then dancing. Some days we would just sit together at her house or my house. Or we would study together, especially with finals coming up next week. Graduation was coming so fast it was insane.

Both Ivy and I had been accepted to Panem University and we would be moving into our dorms in late August. The day I had gotten my acceptance letter, my mom started crying hysterically. Dad and I had just looked at each other, a little confused as to what to do. That night, since Ivy had gotten her acceptance letter the same day, we had a party to celebrate. That had probably been one of the most fun parties I've ever been to.

"Hey, you, pull yourself away from those books." Ivy calls to me as she comes in through the back door. I look up from my textbook and smile as she sits down next to me.

"Hey," I tell her as we both lean in for a kiss. God, it feels amazing to finally be able to kiss this woman!

"You should start getting ready. The talent show starts in less than an hour." She tells me. She's always keeping me on my schedule. I swear if it weren't for her, I'd never get up from my books to eat or sleep.

I head up to my room to change my clothes and run a comb through my hair. I put on a white, button down shirt and a pair of dark wash jeans. I brush my teeth and my hair and then go back downstairs.

"Let's roll, beautiful." I tell Ivy as I grab the keys to my motorcycle. Motorcycle is by far our favorite mode of transportation. The wind in your face and the power of the bike is just a great combination. And, of course, Ivy holding onto my tightly as we zoom through town.

Ivy jumps off and I park the bike before we head into the auditorium for the talent show. We take our seats next to Phoenix, Finn, and Liam just in time to for the principal to announce the first act, which is a pair of jugglers from the junior class. I must say that I do love the wide variety of acts you get to see. District 12 really does have a lot of talent in it.

Lilac Mellark's POV

Like always, I am incredibly nervous before my performance. This is only my second performance at the District 12 East High School talent show. I love singing but I am always a nervous wreck before I go on stage. When Principal Jefferson announces me, I swear I almost puke.

"You think I'm pretty without any makeup on. You think I'm funny when I tell the punch line wrong. I know you get me so I let my walls come down, down." The moment I start singing, all my nerves just melt away. I know that I belong on this stage.

"Before you met me I was alright but things were kinda heavy. You brought me to life. Now every February you'll be my Valentine, Valentine. Let's go all the way tonight. No regrets, just love. We can dance, until we die. You and I will be young forever. You make me feel like I'm livin' a Teenage dream The way you turn me on I can't sleep Let's run away and Don't ever look back, Don't ever look back" Everyone in the auditorium is getting into this song. It's pretty old but a lot of really old songs from like before Panem even existed, are being resurfaced and are coming back.

"My heart stops when you look at me, just one touch now baby I believe this is real. So take a chance and don't ever look back, don't ever look back. We drove to Cali and got drunk on the beach. Got a motel and built a fort out of sheets. I finally found you, my missing puzzle piece I'm complete. Let's go all the way tonight, No regrets, just love. We can dance, until we die. You and I will be young forever." My eyes catch Liam's gaze and I can't help but smile. He knows this is all about him.

"You make me feel like I'm livin' a Teenage dream. The way you turn me on. I can't sleep. Let's run away and don't ever look back, don't ever look back. My heart stops when you look at me. Just one touch, now baby I believe this is real. So take a chance and don't ever look back, don't ever look back. I'm a get your heart racing, in my skin-tight jeans. Be your teenage dream tonight. Let you put your hands on me in my skin-tight jeans. Be your teenage dream tonight.

"Yoooouuu, You make me feel Like I'm livin' a Teenage dream The way you turn me on I can't sleep Let's run away and Don't ever look back, Don't ever look back No My heart stops When you look at me Just one touch Now baby I believe This is real So take a chance and Don't ever look back, Don't ever look back I'm a get your heart racing In my skin-tight jeans Be your teenage dream tonight Let you put your hands on me In my skin-tight jeans. Be your teenage dream tonight." The auditorium erupts into cheers as the music fades out. I go and find my siblings and boyfriend and sit with them. Next up is Ash and I'm really excited to see his performance.

"Oh, her eyes, her eyes, make the stars look like they're not shining. Her hair, her hair, falls perfectly without her trying. She's so beautiful, and I tell her every day. Yeah, I know, I know, when I compliment her she won't believe me. And it's so, it's so, sad to think that she don't see what I see. But every time she asks me do I look ok, I say: When I see your face, there's not a thing that I would change, 'Cause you're amazing, just the way you are. And when you smile, the whole world stops and stares for a while, because girl you're amazing, just the way you are." Ash looks up as he finishes the chorus, his eyes finding mine.

"Her lips, her lips, I could kiss them all day if she let me. Her laugh, her laugh, she hates but I think it's so sexy. She's so beautiful, and I tell her every day. Oh, you know, you know, you know, I'd never ask you to change. If perfect's what you're searching for then just stay the same. So, don't even bother asking if you look ok. You know I'll say: When I see your face, there's not a thing that I would change, Cause you're amazing, just the way you are. And when you smile, the whole world stops and stares for a while, because girl you're amazing, just the way you are. The way you are, the way you are. Girl you're amazing, just the way you are." The way Ash is staring at me, it makes me wonder if he wishes he and I were together.

"When I see your face, there's not a thing that I would change Cause you're amazing, just the way you are. And when you smile, the whole world stops and stares for a while, Cause girl you're amazing, just the way you are." Ash finishes his song, his eyes locked with mine. I look away, my eyes flickering to Liam, who is smiling. He is completely oblivious to the fact that his best friend is in love with me. I sigh. What am I going to do?

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**And just when you guys thought everything was hunky dorry! What oh what is Lilac going to do? Does she stay with Liam and try to forget that Ash is in love with her? Does she break it off with Liam and go with Ash, possibly ruining their friendship in the process? Does she just say "to hell with it!" and become a lesbian? Let me know what you think! Please review and thanks for reading!**


	32. Chapter 32

**Hey, Everyone! This chapter is PROM! WHOO! So, go ahead, READ ON!**

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Chapter Thirty-Two

Alexander Abernathy's POV

Tonight is the big night. Tonight is Prom night. Senior prom, it only happens once. It's one night, one single night, yet it means and signifies so much. And tonight, tonight is going to be a night Ivy will never forget.

The dance starts at 8 p.m. and we're all meeting to take pictures in the meadow at 6:30 and then we'll be going to dinner before the dance starts. It's barely five and I'm already starting to get ready. I feel like a girl.

I shower and then examine myself in the mirror before I continue getting ready. My abdominal and pectoral muscles are a lot more defined after all the training we did for the mission. I shave and make extra sure to be careful so I don't cut myself. Don't want my beautiful face all scratched up for the big night.

Once I am clean and clean shaven (the way Ivy likes), I start getting dressed. Now, I don't mind dressing up for these kinds of thing but I really hate ties. They're just so damned confusing. So, when I come to that part of dressing, I drag myself downstairs and ask for my mom's help. My mom, of course, is ecstatic that her "all grown up baby boy" still needs his mother's help for something.

"You grew up too fast," Mom tells me as she finishes tying my tie.

"Sorry 'bout that." I tease.

"Son, I wanna have a talk with you before you go pick Ivy up." Dad tells me. Oh, this oughta be good.

"What's up?" I ask him as I take a seat at our mahogany dining table.

"Now, I know you're a smart kid and that you really love Ivy but I just want to tell you not to do anything stupid. You're only eighteen. Don't . . . don't do anything that could mess up the great future you're gonna have." He tells me.

"Dad, don't worry. We've only been dating for, like, a month. We're totally not ready for . . . that." I reassure him.

"I know, I know but, just in case . . ." Dad trails off slides me a condom across the table.

"Haymitch Abernathy!" Mom chastises him and I can't help but laugh out loud.

"Don't worry mom, I'm not going to need it. We're not going to do anything." I reassure her as I give her the condom, so she knows I'm serious. Her red cheeks and disgruntled expression just makes dad and I laugh.

"I gotta go," I tell them as I head out to the limo that we are taking to pictures, the restaurant, and the prom. I talk with the driver and then head over to the Mellarks' house to grab everyone. I knock and a very . . . disgruntled . . . looking Peeta answers the door.

"Abernathy," He says in greeting. I just nod. "Ivy will be ready in just a minute. Come on inside." He tells me and I walk into the living room. "Now, just a few ground rules. No after parties, no alcohol, don't try to . . . do anything," He starts listing all these do's and don'ts but I fade them out as my love descends the stairs. She looks absolutely gorgeous in her blue and green floor length dress. Her hair is up in a braid that is incredibly unique. And, her eyes are twinkling with delight.

"Ready?" I ask her and she nods. I lead her to the limo and open the door for her. We both slide in and end up waiting for the others for a few minutes. I can't help but steal a few kisses as we wait.

Once everyone is in the limo, we head for the meadow to take pictures. As usual, the moms go crazy over all the pictures while the dads stand off to the side and laugh at our misery. Once my mom has finished going nuts over pictures, we all get back in the limo and head for the restaurant. The restaurant Ivy and I picked is a nice little, Thai food place in town.

We eat and everyone is having a great time. The laughter doesn't cease and Finn almost spurts soda out his nose a few times. I look around at the faces around the table. Phoenix and his girlfriend, Harper, are having a great time. They really do make a sweet couple. They'll both be joining Ivy and me at Panem University in the fall.

Finn and his date, Sydney Harris, are having a great time, too. They're the ones providing most of the jokes and conversation. Really, I think those two are perfect for each other. Sydney might be the one to break Finn of his bachelor ways.

Lilac is being pretty quiet but it seems she is having a good time. Liam, who has his arm wrapped around Lilac, is joking with Finn about something sports related. Ash is being just as quiet as Lilac tonight. He has no date. Tonight, he's going to be acting as a DJ of sorts. He's pretty excited because he just loves working with music. Plus, he's getting paid for it by the school.

And, lastly, my gaze falls onto Ivy. She is currently laughing at something her little brother said and I kind of wish my mom was here to take a picture of it. She just looks so beautiful and natural and . . . happy. She looks genuinely happy right now. I really do love her smile.

We finish our dinner and get back into the limo so we can go to the dance. Suddenly, as we pull up to _Monarch Gardens_, my stomach starts doing flips. I think it might be the food but, when Ivy grasps my hand in hers and my stomach starts going crazy, I know it must be her that is driving me wild. I smile as she leads me into the dance hall.

Instantly, we are on the dance floor, moving to the beat of one of the popular songs of the time. Her hands are around my neck, her fingers playing with the hair at the nape of my neck. Her smile is so bright and infectious. I lean down and kiss her, fireworks shooting through me as our lips meet.

Having Ivy so close to me just . . . drives me absolutely wild. I love having her near me. It's like she's the drug you can't get enough of to keep you satisfied. The way she laughs and the way she just gets lost in whatever she is doing. It's just so . . . so beautiful. She's just absolutely magnificent.

A very popular and catchy song comes on and everyone in the dance hall starts singing along and dancing. Ivy and I dance together, singing the lyrics to each other through our laughter. She pulls me down to her and kisses me tenderly. Then she brings her lips to my ear and whispers:

"I love you, Alexander Cole Abernathy." She tells me.

"I love you, too, Ivy Sky Mellark." I reply. Ivy grabs my hand and leads me out of the dance hall.

"It was getting way too hot in there," Ivy tells me as we sit down on a bench together.

"You can say that again," I agree. I jump a little when I feel Ivy's lips on my neck. She kisses the spot right underneath my earlobe. Oh, dear God, this woman will be the death of me. No, literally, Peeta is going to kill me.

"Ivy, what are doing?" I ask her, my heart beating in my throat.

"Do you not like it?" She asks me; hurt filling her voice as she pulls away from me.

"No! Trust me, I love it. It's just that . . . your dad would totally kill me." I tell her, cupping her face with my hand and rubbing my thumb over her cheek.

"I wasn't going to seduce you!" She giggles. "I was just kissing you, you fool!"

"Fool? You think I'm a fool?" I ask her. She giggles and nods. "I'll show you a fool," I tell her as I start kissing her. Her lips move against mine and, before I know it, our tongues are dueling for dominance. Oh, this is, by far, the best kiss of my life. I pull her closer to me and she wraps her hands around my neck. I can barely breathe but I don't care. I'd rather have her than oxygen.

Unfortunately, we do break away from each other. We are breathing heavily, our foreheads pressed against each other's. The look of complete love and devotion in Ivy's eyes makes my heart swell. This is definitely the woman I want to spend the rest of my forever with.

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***Sigh* I wish I had someone to spend my forever with! :( Oh well. At least I have Alex. I can always continue to manipulate him into being the boyfriend I really wish I had! Coming up next we have finals, graduation, a pretty great party, and Alex, Ivy, and Phoenix's move in day at Panem University! Thanks so much to all of you for reading and please leave me a review! Thanks!**


	33. Chapter 33

**Hey, Everyone! So, after th****is chapter, we only have two more! Can you believe it? I know I can't! It's ridiculous how fast this went by! I have to thank you all for all this inspiration! You guys are totally amazing! Well, let's get on with the story! Read on!**

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Chapter Thirty-Three

Ivy Mellark's POV

_*The end of the next week*_

Ugh! Finals! Now, I love school but finals are my arch nemesis. They suck even more since I'm a senior, even though they couldn't possibly impact my grades by now. But, I still have to do well. I am second in the class, after all.

I sigh as I look up at my boyfriend, Alexander Abernathy, number one in the class, captain of the boys' varsity soccer team, captain of the math club and chess team, and class valedictorian. He had beaten me at that last title by just one-one-hundredth of point in our GPAs. It was really insane how close our grades were.

"What?" Alex asks me as he looks up to find my staring at him.

"Nothing," I tell him with a shake of my head. We are sitting at his kitchen table, our textbooks spread across it, studying for our finals together. It was amazing how comfortable we were around each other. I love that I don't have to worry about my make up or my hair around him. He doesn't care about that stuff. And he's too absorbed into his studying to notice anyway.

"Hey, you two should take a break before your brains explode." Haymitch says as he bops Alex on the head with his newspaper. Alex just rolls his eyes at his father and I can't help but laugh. These two have to best father-son relationship I've ever seen. It really is wonderful.

"Haymitch, leave them be. They don't need you distracting them from their studies." Effie tells Haymitch as she follows him into the kitchen.

"I still can't believe my son is an egghead," Haymitch says, teasing his son.

"I know. I mean, my IQ is double yours." Alex teases in return, which earns him another bop from the newspaper before Effie manages to get him to leave us alone. It's going to be so weird not having family around this autumn.

"I think my brain is bruised," Finn complains as we all walk home. Today was our last day of final exams and I actually kind of agree with my brother. My head definitely hurts.

"How can your brain be bruised? It's not like you ever use it." Liam jokes, quickly dodging Finn's punch. Oh, I do love this family!

"How does it feel to be officially done with high school?" Lilac asks me as we walk.

"I feel the same," I tell her with a chuckle. Like one test was really going to make me feel all grown up all of a sudden. We reach our houses and Alex and I share a quick kiss before we part. Tomorrow morning is graduation!

"Ivy, you look so beautiful," Mom tells me as she finishes my hair. Today is graduation, the day I've been waiting on for four years. I sigh as I grab my purse and catch Alex on his way to the school.

"I can't believe your parents let you take the Porsche!" I exclaim as Alex and I drive to the school.

"I know! It's totally epic!" He replies a huge grin plastered on his face.

"So, are you nervous about your speech? I ask him.

"Eh, not really," He tells me. "I mean, public speaking isn't my favorite thing in the world but I'm not terrified of it like you are." It's true. I am absolutely terrified of public speaking.

We arrive at school and then part to get our graduation gowns and to take our seats. They always put the graduates in alphabetical order.

An hour later, the school gymnasium is full of family, friends, and graduates. The energy in the room is absolutely crazy and there are so many emotions flying around. Principal Jefferson makes his usual speech about how we're adults now and we have to make our own decisions, blah, blah, blah. Then, it is time for Alex's speech. He takes the stage and stands behind the podium.

"Family, friends, teachers, faculty, students, and fellow graduates, welcome! Today we are all here to celebrate a milestone in our young lives. Some of you might even call it the biggest milestone in our lives. However you feel about this day, I'm sure most of us never thought it would get here. It has been a long time in the making." He gets a few chuckles for that.

"After today, we're all going to go in separate directions. Some of us will be continuing our education at various universities throughout Panem and some of us will go into the work force. Whatever path you may be taking after today, I just want to give you one peace advice: Have some fun. Life is short and you never know when it's going to end. So, you should have fun while you can. Share your life with people you love. Fill your life with as much happiness as you can. Do something you love. Be with someone you love. Don't take life too seriously; no one gets out of it alive anyway." Laughter and applause erupt in the gymnasium as Alex concludes his speech. I am clapping and wiping tears off my cheeks at the same time.

Now, the diplomas are being passed out. Alex is one of the first to receive his since his name is at the beginning of the alphabet. I can hear Haymitch and Effie cheering for their son very loudly as he crosses the stage, looking slightly embarrassed by his parents' actions.

When mine and Phoenix's names are called, our family reacts similarly. I swear every District in Panem could hear Finn's voice. As I cross the stage and receive my diploma, I can't help but think _I did it! I really did it! I survived high school!_

Once all the diplomas are handed out, Principal Jefferson addresses us for one last time. He announces as the District 12 East High School Class of 5025 and we cheer as we through our graduation caps into the air.

We are dismissed and a whole lot of photo taking commences. Everyone wants to get last minute pictures with each other and the gym is turned into a sort of mad house. But, of course, Alex doesn't let that stop him from making his way towards me and then capturing my lips and heart in a steamy kiss. I love this man so much!

I hear dad clear his throat and we pull away from each other, blushing deeply. Phoenix, Alex, and I receive hug after hug from everyone and I feel like it will never stop. I get a little misty eyed when I hear Haymitch whisper how proud he is of his son in Alex's ear. Alex is definitely a son that anyone would be proud to call their own.

"Now, let's go home. I do believe there is a party awaiting your arrival!" Lilac tells us, a devious look in her eyes.

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**Up next: PARTY! Should be fun! Thank you all so much for reading! I love you all! Please review on your way out! Thanks so much!**


	34. Chapter 34

**H****ey, Everyone! So, this chapter is a bit short. Sorry bout that. It's not that entertaining either. Again, sorry. But, the next chapter, i hope, will be better. Read on!**

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Chapter Thirty-Four

Alexander Abernathy's POV

"Okay, so my mom went totally overboard with this party." I conclude as I see how our backyards have been transformed into an amazing party spot.

"She does know how to throw one hell of a party," Ivy replies as she leans into my side. I wrap my arm around her waist. I just love how easy it is for us to be together. We're a perfect fit for each other.

"It's still so surreal that we just graduate high school! I mean, we aren't going back there in the fall." Ivy muses.

"We'll be in the Capitol, together." I tell her, pulling her closer to my side.

We walk over to where everyone else is clustered. They're all watching Finn and Liam compete is a water drinking contest.

"I am not kissing him if he pukes," Lilac declares adamantly. Finn ends up winning, leaving Liam disgruntled and with a stomachache. I really do love this family so much!

As the sun begins its decent, the party continues. Music is played. Some dancing happens. Mom cries about three times over my graduation. Jokes are told. Fun is had. It really is a great time.

Ivy Mellark's POV

Tonight's party is just amazing! The music is great! Everyone is having fun and joking around! It really is turning out to be the perfect night. I dance with Alex, both my brothers, Liam, Ash, my dad, and even Haymitch.

"Sweetheart, make sure you keep that kid of mine in order." Haymitch tells me as we sway to the music.

"Oh, I'm sure I won't have any issues with that." I laugh in response.

"Well, try to make him have fun every now and then. I know how absorbed into his books he gets. He needs to have fun next year, too. Don't let him forget that." Haymitch requests and I promise him that I will.

"You know, I can't believe you're all grown up. It feels like just yesterday that I was sitting in that hospital room the day you were born." He tells me. "You know, you and your brother are the reason Effie and I got together."

"You're kidding!" I exclaim.

"Nope," He shakes his head. "If it weren't for you two little rascals, well, I wouldn't be the happiest man in all of Panem." I never knew I had a hand in getting Haymitch and Effie hitched! Ha! Alex kinda owes me big time for getting his parents together!

"You kind of owe me big time," I tell Alex as we dance together again.

"Why?" He asks me, confused.

"Well, as it turns out, I am the reason your parents are, well, your parents." I tell him.

"What do you mean?" He asks and I explain to him the story Haymitch told me of how he and Effie got together.

"Wow," Alex laughs as I finish. "I never knew it was mom who made the first move!"

"Hey, I had to make the first move in this relationship." I inform him.

"What are you trying to say?" Alex asks me, a teasing smile on his face.

"Well, it seems that Abernathy men are slow in the love department." I tell him. He picks me up and I giggle as he gestures Finn to come and help him. Together, they end up throwing me into the pool in the Abernathy's backyard.

"You two are so dead!" I yell. And a water balloon fight soon follows. Everyone gets into it; even River manages to get a few people all wet. It really does end up being a really crazy night.

As a way to end the perfect day, we all recline on the grass and watch some fireworks the town is doing for the graduating class. I recline into Alex's chest and he kisses my forehead.

"I love you," I tell him.

"I love you, too, babe." He says.

"Did you just call me babe?" I ask him, looking up at him.

"Yeah, is that okay?" He asks me, looking worried that he offended me or something.

"It's perfect," I tell him, leaning up to kiss his lips, "Babe," He chuckles and wraps me tightly in his arms.

"Do you think we'll be together . . . forever?" I ask him tentatively.

"I hope so," He tells me. "Do you think we'll be together forever?" He asks me.

"I hope we are. I don't ever want to lose you again. One death scare is enough for a lifetime." I tell him, leaning my head in the crook of his shoulder.

"Does this mean we're going to get married and have lots of babies?" He asks me, mirth being evident in his voice.

"Lots and lots of babies," I tell him with a chuckle.

"Our daughters are not dating until they are at least thirty," He says in a very serious tone.

"Alex!" I exclaim with laughter.

"Okay, fine, twenty-five. But I'm not going any lower than that!" He tells me.

All this talk about our future and babies really gets me thinking. I can picture it: Me, working as a doctor in the local hospital, Alex, working as a research scientist and professor at the University, and our kids growing up surrounded by their cousins and grandparents. It sounds perfect, absolutely perfect.

"Alex . . ." I say.

"What is it, babe?" He asks me and I smile when he calls me "babe". I really do like it when he calls me that.

"I'm sorry about the way Blake treated you. You didn't deserve it." I tell him. I feel Alex stiffen when I mention Blake. We really haven't talked about him since the mission was successful.

"Don't worry about it. He can't mess with our lives anymore. He's dead." Alex assures me, wrapping his arms around me tighter. "There's nowhere to go but forward."

"Together," I add.

"Together," He repeats, kissing the top of my head.

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**I really do hate typing . . . _his_****name. And now! I never have to again! (I hope) The next chapter is the last one! I will try to get started on the sequel as fast as I can. I have already decided that there will be two more installments in this series. The next one will be set when the kids are all in college and then the last one will basically center around Ivy and Alex starting their own family! (lots and lots of babies! LOL). So, I hope those are things you want to see! I hate to say this, but I go back to school in a month and that means that the amount of my updates will decrease, though I hope not by too much! But, I am taking very challenging courses this year so I may end up ranting to you guys about it all. It's my junior year of high school and I'm a bit afraid. Okay, enough about me! Thanks for reading and please leave me a review!**


	35. Chapter 35

**H****ey, Everyone! Well, guys, this is it! This is the last chapter of It Must Run in the Family! I hope you loved reading this story as much as I loved writing it! I really do hold these characters dear to my heart! I am living vicariously through them! Well, without further ado, for the last time in this story, Read on!**

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Chapter Thirty-Five

Ivy Mellark's POV

_*Three Months Later*_

"Geez, sis, how much crap do you need?" My little brother, Finn, complains as he places another box on the ground. Honestly, I barely even did any of the packing. Effie did most of it for me and I think she had way too much fun doing it. But, if it made Effie happy, I just let her do it. Especially since she was really, really sad that Alex was moving out of District 12.

"Quit complaining, muscle boy." Faith Collins, my new roommate says as she finishes setting up her stuff on her desk. Finn makes a stupid face at her and I can't help but laugh. I really am going to miss him after he leaves.

"Well, this is the last of it." Dad says as he and mom come in with two boxes each.

"Thanks," I tell them as I hug them both.

"Oh, I can't believe my baby girl is all grown up." Dad says as he hugs me back.

"Hey, what am I? Chopped liver?" Lilac asks him as she pops into the room. Dad pulls her into a hug and, before we know it, we're in a huge group hug.

"I'm really going to miss you guys," I tell them when we disband.

"That's funny, because I can't wait to turn your room into my personal gym." Finn jokes and I punch him in the arm.

"Don't worry; we won't let him do anything to your room." Mom tells me as she wraps her arm around my shoulder. "Do you need any more help with anything?" She asks me.

"No, I just have to unpack. You guys don't have to stay for that. I know it's a long drive home." I tell her.

"Well, don't leave without saying goodbye!" Phoenix says as he comes into the room, followed by Harper, Uncle Gale, Uncle Nash, Aunt Johanna, Liam, and Ash. More hugs travel through the room as everyone starts saying their goodbyes.

I have to take a deep breath to keep my emotions in check. I do not need to cry right now. That would really mess up my mascara. I feel strong arms wrap around me and I look up to see Alex smiling down at me.

"You get all moved in?" I ask him. He is staying in the dorm room just a few blocks away from mine.

"Yep," He tells me. "You get to help me unpack and organize later."

"Only if you help me," I say.

"Deal," Alex agrees. We both look over and see that Alex's mom is crying, again. I know Alex feels bad about it all. I just find it kind of funny.

Once again, hugs travel through the room. It ridiculous how many times we are saying goodbye and yet no one has even left yet. After another twenty minutes, Phoenix, Harper, Alex, and I are waving goodbye to our families as they start driving away.

"Well, it looks like we're kind of on our own now." I say as I lean into Alex.

"This is going to be a great year," He tells me, kissing the top of my head.

"Heck yes!" Phoenix shouts. Phoenix and Harper head to her dorm room to unpack her stuff while Alex and I head to his dorm room. While there, I meet Ethan Coleman, Alex's roommate. He has short, blonde hair, baby blue eyes, and fair skin. As it turns out, he is physics major. Alex decided that he wanted to major in biology, with a minor in physics. He plans on getting his Ph.D. in biology and then working in the research lab here in the Capitol.

It takes a few hours to unpack and organize his stuff. Effie bought him so much stuff that I'm surprised they aren't going bankrupted or anything. The tuition alone for this school is off the charts.

Once we have finished with Alex's room, we move onto mine. There, Alex, Faith, and I have a blast unpacking and organizing while we blast Faith's amazing stereo system. She's from District Nine. Their main resource is Electricity.

I can already tell Faith and I will be good friends. She has red hair, a splash of freckles across her face, and pretty blue eyes. Like me, she is a pre-medical student. I can already picture us doing late night study sessions together.

Once we finish with our room, Faith, Ethan, Alex, and I all head to a freshmen welcome party that is being thrown on campus. The party is already totally in full swing when we get there. The music is blaring and everyone is dancing. Some of the guys are doing really stupid things but men are naturally stupid. There is alcohol being passed around but Alex and I decline. Nobody in our family drinks. That just makes it easier for Haymitch.

Alex and I dance together. I am surprised at how much fun I am already having. We've barely been on campus for six hours and we're already at our first party. It's pretty amazing. I can already tell that college life will be a blast.

It is around midnight when Alex and I decide that we've had enough. We leave Ethan and Faith, who seem to have really hit it off tonight. And, by hit it off, I mean they are currently swallowing each other's throats. Alex and I can't help but laugh about the fact that our roommates are totally going to end up dating.

"Can you believe it, babe? We're in college!" Alex exclaims as we walk back to my dorm room. The campus is pretty peaceful, if you ignore all the parties raging right now.

"This is going to be a great year," I tell him as I grasp his hand in mine.

"It's what we make it. The Capitol is our oyster! We have the best knowledge at our finger tips and, as it seems, these people know how to party." Alex replies.

"I just still can't believe we're adults now. It feels like just yesterday that you and I met for the first time." I tell him, kissing his cheek.

"I still remember the first time I met you. You kind of scared me a little bit." Alex chuckles.

"I used to tell my mom you and I would get married one day." I say.

"Well, I guess you were a psychic four year old, huh?" Alex replies, kissing my head.

"My dad fell in love with my mom when they were both really young," I tell him. I really do love my dad's story of when he fell in love with mom.

"Well, then I guess it must run in the family." Alex tells me as we walk to my dorm room. A great year it shall be indeed.

**_Fin_**

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**__Well, there you have it my fans! I will try to have the first chapter of the next one up tomorrow sometime. I haven't even done the outline yet so your guess as what is going to happen is as good as mine. **

**Here are the titles I've been thinking about. Tell me which one you like best! 1)"Best Days of Our Lives" 2) "Live a Little" and 3) Things Don't Always go as Planned  
**

**Tell me what you think! And please leave me a review! I love reading your reviews.  
**

**I have to say, again, how thankful I am that you all read this story! And for all your kind words! I never thought I could write anything like this! You all really do inspire me! And I can't wait to continue! I love writing and I love hearing from you guys! So, this is like a win win situation! Again, thank you for reading and reviewing and supporting me! You all are truly the best readers anyone could ever ask for! I love you all! Thank you!  
**


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